Sink or Swim
by rachelisafallenangel
Summary: Part 2 of the "Second Chances" series: [Making mistakes is part of living. Sometimes we can't tell if they will hurt us or not, even though we long for them because they are what we want.] I'll fix the summary later. A ton of OC/OCs, Jara, Peddie, Amfie, Jabian, Mick/Nina & KT/Ben! Rated M for language and mentions of self-harm.
1. Chapter 1

**I know that this is a bit of a rough start to this story, but _A Second Chance_ had been the same way. I just have to get back into the swing of things. :)**

**Anyway, I'm back!**

**I might bump up the rating on this in later chapters due to language if I feel the need to do so.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Fifteen year old Josh Clarke stared at his twin silently before shaking his head. "I'm sorry, what?"<p>

"Did you hear a word I said?" Louisa huffed, her fingers nimbly braiding her long, blonde hair.

"Just summarize it for me." he said, shuffling a deck of cards.

"That's what I was doing. Pay attention this time, Josh."

"I'm listening," he assured her, dealing eleven cards between them.

"So, almost a year ago, mum and dad got married. Mara adopted us. Auntie Amber had Miss Kassidy Rose—cutest baby ever. We are fifteen, and in just a couple weeks we'll be tenth graders! It's Christmas time in the city…" she sang softly with a giddy smile. "I am Glenda the Good Witch in the school's production of Wizard of Oz. Oh, Fiona and Jacob broke up."

"And like, an hour after they got together."

"A month," Louisa said with a small smile, discarding an ace of spades.

"I called it."

"Michael will be going to university soon…um…"

Michael looked up from his laptop. "Is that all that happened this year? Wow, compared to the year before, it seems a bit boring."

"Why?" Gracie questioned, popping a fruit snack into her mouth with Matty close behind her.

"Maybe we should have a family newsletter." Michael joked.

"No offense, bro, but that's a stupid idea." Josh grumbled.

"I'll do it!" Gracie volunteered.

"That's a great idea, Gracie." Alice giggled.

"Did you forget anything?" Mara asked, entering the dining room through the kitchen with her husband on her heels.

"I don't think so." Louisa shook her head.

"Mara's pregnant. You forget that." Jerome said casually.

The Clarke kids' jaws dropped.

Michael was the first to recover after a few moments. "I have to babysit another one?"

"Oh, you won't even be here when the baby's born." Jerome scoffed.

"I have to babysit another one?" Alice repeated.

"More money for you, darling." He father offered.

"Alright," she shrugged.

"Oh my, gosh, this is amazing!" Louisa smiled, hugging Jerome and Mara quickly.

"Give me a few minutes to decide how I feel about this." Josh said.

"I'm going to be a big sister?" Gracie asked excitedly.

"That's right, sweet pea." Mara confirmed, kissing her cheek.

"Matty, me and you are going to be the ones in charge! Come with me, I have a plan!"

The two younger Clarke kids rushed out of the room and after a few more hugs and a very excited discussion about having a new member to the family, everyone retreated to what they had been doing while Mara prepared supper.

Michael leaned back on the kitchen counter, taking a tortilla chip from the bag next to him.

"We'll be having everyone over, Christmas Eve, so why don't you invite Emily over. I guess she's busy with her job and preparing for university. She could use a break." Jerome said. "Plus, we haven't seen her in a while."

"Yeah, um, I don't think that'll happen." Michael said quietly, dragging a hand through his dirty blond hair that matched his father's. "Emily and I…we…broke up."

"What?" Mara asked in shock.

"You cheated on her, didn't you?" Jerome accused.

Michael looked taken aback for a second before he nodded his head guiltily. "I got kind of thrown off by my commitment to her."

"You've never had a problem with commitment before." Jerome pointed out.

"Until I realized that I'd do anything for her. Anything. Including killing her father for hurting her. It was too much for me. I…got scared and reacted in a way I really, really regret. I don't know how to fix it." he whispered, ducking his head.

Jerome and Mara exchanged glances.

"Killing her father," Jerome repeated.

"I got so mad at him that night that he got arrested…I couldn't…I could barely keep myself from doing something incredibly stupid. She was what kept my head on straight."

Mara pulled the pan of meat she was cooking off the burner and turned to Michael, wrapping her arm around his waist. "It's going to be okay, darling."

"It's never going to be okay." He stepped away from her and hopped onto the island in the middle of the room. "She trusted me and I completely ruined everything with just one kiss. One stupid kiss, that meant absolutely nothing, with some girl that I don't even know the name of."

"That's probably not how Emily feels." Jerome pointed out.

"I know."

"You can fix this," Mara said.

"How do you know?" he demanded before sending her an apologetic glance.

"Because you're your father's son." She replied.

"Please, let's not bring this up." Jerome hissed pleadingly.

"You can relate to this, so you can give your son some advice."

"Now he's my son?" he retorted.

"He cheated on me in high school and he had to work for my trust again." Mara explained, facing Michael again.

"I spent so many days on winning her over again."

"He's so lucky I love him."

"She's so lucky I love her."

"Please, don't fight." Michael cut in when they whipped around to look at each other again.

Jerome scoffed, shrugging a shoulder, and wrapped his arms around her. "Who's fighting?"

"We're not fighting." Mara smiled when Jerome kissed her cheek.

"Can I please just have some help?"

"Yeah, of course," Jerome nodded and Mara went back to the stove. "If you really love her, you got to show her that, and if she really loves you, she'll give you a second chance. However, you can't screw up that second chance because you probably won't get another one."

"How do you suppose I could start trying to get her back?"

"That's up to you. You know her better than anyone, so you have to figure out how you can do it."

The phone rang in the other room and Louisa shot up from the dining room table. "That's probably Sarah, I've got it!"

Jerome looked back at Michael.

"Okay, I can do this." He mumbled, thinking deeply.

"Dad, it's Uncle Eddie," Louisa said, handing him the phone.

"Hey, Edison, how's it going?" Jerome greeted, lifting the phone to his ear.

"Patricia just went into labor, thought you guys would like to know." The American said.

"Is everything okay?"

"Peachy, except for the fact that—" his voice drifted a little as if he had taken the phone away from his ear briefly. "Patricia, you're going to break my arm!" He addressed Jerome again. "So, yeah, if you could get ahold of the others, which I couldn't—ow—that'd be great. We're on the way to the hospital right now."

"Yeah, alright, we'll be down there in a few minutes."

"Thanks, man—ow, Patricia, come on!" he grunted, hanging up the phone.

"Patricia just went into labor; they're on their way to the hospital."

"Oh my, gosh, we should get down there." Mara said.

"Can we come?" Gracie asked, running up to her father so she could hang on his leg.

"Monkey, you're getting to big to be hanging on me." Jerome told the seven year old.

"Please?" she squealed.

"Don't you want to eat?"

"I want to see the baby!"

"Okay, go put on your coats." Jerome sighed, patting her butt as she and Matty ran out of the room. "Who else wants to come to the hospital?"

"Me!" Louisa and Josh called, raising their hands without looking up from their game.

"I'll come, too," Alice chimed in.

"Mike?" Jerome hollered, shrugging on his coat.

"Um, I'll stay here…" he said.

"Clean up dinner for us then?"

"Yeah, sure,"

"We'll be back later," Mara said, kissing his cheek quickly and rushing out the door to the minibus.

* * *

><p>Louisa sat in the chair next to Danni Miller in the hospital waiting room. "Hey, how's it going?"<p>

"Fine," the brunette shrugged. "I was just minding my own business when suddenly Justin and I hear, 'Weasel Face, you idiot, don't touch me, just get me to the hospital!'"

"It didn't help that she was in a bad mood all day." her brother commented from across the hall.

"It's a boy, right?" Alice asked, sitting down, putting Jenna Lewis between her and Justin.

"Yeah," he nodded, "They've fought over the name for like, two weeks now."

"You know what name is perfect?" Fiona Rutter asked, sitting next to Danni and poking her shoulder. "Your parents should name him Dimitri."

Danni blinked. "Yeah…no. Dimitri Miller? No."

"Then I'll take that name for my first born son." She huffed.

"You do that, if you want him to get beaten up." Danni laughed.

* * *

><p>Eddie squeezed Patricia's hand that was intertwined with his.<p>

"You still have circulation in that hand?" she joked, letting her head roll back onto the pillows behind her.

"Guess so—"

"How would we know with all your screaming, you big baby?" she scoffed.

"You can break my hand any time you want, Yacker. You know why? Because I love you."

"You're such a sap, Slimeball."

"Here you are, Mrs. Miller." The nurse interrupted to hand the baby to Patricia gently.

"What are we going to name him?" Eddie asked.

"Cody."

"Now you like that name? What made you change your mind—?" he stopped grumbling when she leaned over to kiss him. He grinned. "Your surprise kisses will never get old."

"Cody Andrew. You like that?"

"Yeah," he nodded, kissing Cody's small head, "Hey, buddy."

"You agreed on a name?" Justin asked in shock, entering the room after the doctor let him and Danni in.

"That's a first." Danni smirked, squeezing onto the bed with her mother. "Hey, little bro."

"Careful, Dan, you might scare him with your face." Justin hissed, poking her side.

"Says the baboon."

"Hey, he looks like me." Eddie cut in.

"Exactly." Patricia responded.

"We just had a moment and now you're insulting me again."

"You should know by now that that's how our relationship works."

* * *

><p><strong>Review?<strong>

**So, yeah, rough start. It'll get better, I promise. **

**If it's not obvious, this takes place about a year after the last chapter of _A Second Chance_. :)**

**Also, I'll be starting my 12 Days of Christmas thing soon. I've been procrastinating, though, with both this and 12DoC, watching Cryaotic play video games because I love his voice more than I need my right hand. So yeah. Hopefully I'll pull myself out of this in time. :/**

**"So save yourself because the tide is rising high. It's sink or swim, it's hit or miss, what will you pick? So take some action, don't let the undertow grab hold..." -Sink or Swim, Falling In Reverse  
><strong>

**-Rachel**


	2. Chapter 2

**I really don't want to update without a better (_longer_) chapter but I just need to update. I feel bad for not doing better with this. Maybe I should have waited a while longer before continuing with the series, but I don't really have any inspiration right now. **

**Maybe, if you have anything you'd like to see in the next chapter, let me know. Like something for certain characters to talk about or certain characters to interact or something like that. Just let me know in a review or PM and I'll see what I can do. **

**I just need to get inspired again.**

* * *

><p>"You seriously haven't heard anything from Eric?" Fiona asked Danni as she turned onto her back on her bed so she could look at her ceiling.<p>

Danni spun in Fiona's desk chair once, curled brown hair whipping out behind her. "Nope. That idiot just up and left a couple weeks after I decided to give him a freaking chance."

"I can't believe he did that. Really. I thought he liked you a lot. How could he do that?"

"I don't know. He's an idiot. Idiots do stupid things that don't make any sense."

"Does it bother you?" Fiona said after a few seconds of silence.

"Bother me that when I gave a guy that I didn't even know I liked a chance?" she scoffed and planted her chin in the palm of her hand as she leaned forward in the chair. "Yeah, it does."

"I'm sorry, D."

"I know."

"What would you do if you saw him again?"

"Hmm…" Danni faked thought and then shook her head. "Not say a word to him."

"Could you do that?"

"Of course I could—"

"I mean, you caved when he asked you out. Maybe he's your kryptonite." Her best friend teased.

"I doubt that highly. Can we stop talking about him, please?"

"Okay…so we'll be getting our costumes for this year's play, next week. You never told me what you were casted as?" She hinted, rolling over again.

"It's a secret. You'll see when we get our costumes. You're going to love it."

"I told you you'd love drama."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Do you want a parade for changing my mind?"

"Maybe…"

"Shut up." Danni laughed.

* * *

><p>"TJ won't talk to me, so I need someone to talk to, if you're not busy?" Michael said, poking his head into Alice's room.<p>

"Um, no, I'm not busy. What's up?" she replied, looking up from her book and marking the page she was on before putting it down.

He pulled her desk chair up to the edge of the bed and sat backwards on it, holding a bag of sour gummy worms out to her. "Emily and I broke up. Did you hear about that?"

"No!" she exclaimed. "Wha—why?"

"I cheated on her because I'm an idiot but…I'm going to fix it. I'm gonna fix everything. TJ's mad at me for screwing up, so I need your help." He said.

"Yeah, anything!"

"Okay, it's going to take some planning. I'm going to explain to her why I did it and tell her I love her and say a lot of other things that…I don't want to wear out…" Alice raised a knowing eyebrow at him and he continued with a roll of his blue eyes, "I'm going to just put all of my heart and soul and strength into this and pray that it works."

"You've got it, Mickey, whatever you need me to do."

* * *

><p>Gracie poked her cheek with the tip of her tongue as she concentrated on coloring inside the lines on the picture of Santa Claus' feet hanging out of a fireplace. "Mummy and daddy are going to love these pictures, Matty."<p>

"Of course they w-will." He agreed, standing up from the small table in the middle of her room. He walked over to her dresser and picked a CD out of the basket next to the player. He placed the Christmas disc in the player and pressed the play button. After a few seconds of silence, Alvin & The Chipmunks began to sing.

"Can you put it on the hippo song?" Gracie requested.

"That's my f-favorite." Matty grinned, skipping the songs until he found the song.

"Hey, you guys doing alright? You've been quiet a little too long." Jerome smirked, poking his head into the room.

"Daddy, get out, I'm making presents!" Gracie scolded.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," he chuckled, closing the door.

She sighed in relief, taking her arms off the paper.

"Gracie, you have marker all over her arms now." Matty pointed out.

"I'm an artist, I'm supposed to be colorful." She replied proudly.

* * *

><p><strong>Review?<strong>

**"God, if you are above...I fear that one day, the whole world will disappear! And if it does, well, I have lived my life the way that I could, the way that I should!" -God, If You Are Above..., Falling In Reverse**

**FIR's new song is amazing!**

**-Rachel**


	3. Chapter 3

**Okay, I'm doing better now! I've got the next chapter finished and this is going really well so far. A new character will be coming into the story soon, so that's given me more of a push. Chapter 22 of _Into the Future _has a sort of profile for the character, if you want to read that as a 'sneak peek' before that person comes into the story in the next few chapters. :)**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Gracie excitedly ran into the common room, arms outstretched to grab one of the boxes in beside the tree, but Josh grabbed her waist, pulling her back.<p>

"We have to wait for everyone else to wake up, Grace." He reminded.

She pouted, sitting beside him on the sofa. "I know. What are you doing, Joshy?"

"Nothing," he shrugged.

"Nothing? Are you okay?" she asked.

"Yeah, I just woke up a while ago and couldn't go back to sleep. I'm fine."

Their attention turned to the doorway when Matty rushed into the room, seating himself on the floor near the tree.

"M-morning," he grinned.

"Hey, dude, excited about something?" Josh smirked.

"Josh, it's Christma-mas," Matty pointed out.

"Didn't you know that, Joshy?" Gracie demanded, putting her hands on his cheeks.

"I didn't realize." He shrugged.

"I got you a present! You forgot Christmas?"

Josh laughed. "No, Gracie, I didn't forget Christmas. However, it's still too early for you guys to be awake. We won't be opening presents for a while now."

"B-but we're too excited!" Matty told him.

"I get that, but still," he shrugged again.

"Can we watch a movie?" Gracie asked.

Josh sighed. "Yeah, sure, put something in."

* * *

><p>"This is incredible!" Michael said in awe, turning the camera over in his hands.<p>

"Be careful with it, please." Jerome pleaded.

"I will, I promise," Michael nodded quickly, turning the camera on and flipping through its many settings. He held it up to his face, looking through the lens and snapping a picture of Gracie. He looked down at the screen and snorted, falling back onto the couch laughing. "Gracie, your face…"

"You got captured that look?" Josh demanded, looking over his shoulder at the picture of Gracie looking past Michael, eyes wide and mouth hanging open in surprise. Josh laughed. "Oh, Gracie, you're adorable."

"But that box moved!" she announced, pointing to one of the few boxes that were left.

"What are you talking about, Gracie?" Louisa asked.

Alice looked around it and shook her head. "There must be…something inside of it. Michael, open it."

"Why me? Besides, it's for Lou." Michael said, glancing at the tag.

Louisa warily watched the box. "Okay…"

She scooted up next to it and carefully tearing off the red and green striped wrapping paper. When the top of the box was unwrapped, the lid popped open briefly.

Gracie shrieked, shooting off the floor and dashing for Jerome, and he grunted when she fell into his lap. "Daddy, what is it?"

The box's lid open again, a small nose poking through the crack and Louisa gasped, whipping the lid off and cooing at the cat that was trying to find its way out of the package. "Oh my, god!"

"I am forever the best brother ever." Josh smirked.

"Yes you are!" Louisa exclaimed, lifting the white, fluffy kitten out of the box and into her lap. "You are the cutest thing in the world!"

"What are you going to name him?" Alice asked.

"I don't know yet." She shrugged.

"It was either get a fluffy one or a hairless one." Josh explained.

"Those hairless cats are the scariest things ever." Michael groaned, dragging a hand through his hair.

"I know! One of them at the pet store had a human belly button. That doesn't make sense at all."

"That is terrifying."

"And they look like old people—"

"Stop it, you're freaking Matty and Gracie out." Alice scolded, holding back a laugh.

"A cat without hair is not a cat, that's all we're saying." Josh shrugged.

* * *

><p>"Beansybop," Jerome began, but Mara held a finger to signal for him to wait a moment while she talked on the phone.<p>

She pulled it away from her mouth briefly so she could say quietly, "Joy and Fabian just had their baby."

"Jesus?" he joked, leaning on a chair at the dining room table.

"A girl, and Jesus wasn't even born on the 25th." She informed him with a shake of his head.

Jerome stepped away from the chair, blinking. "Why are we even… My whole life has been a complete lie – then, when was he born?"

"Sometime in the summer. J, hush," she hissed, nodding even though Fabian couldn't see her from the other line. "That's great."

"Name?" Jerome asked.

"Samantha Paige," she replied.

"Paige as in book-page, 'paging Mr. Arden', or…" he drifted off, noting the deadpanned look she was sending him, and he chuckled, lifting his hands to be level with his shoulders in a form of surrender. "I was just wondering."

* * *

><p>"Josh, can I borrow your laptop?" Michael asked, entering his brother's bedroom.<p>

"Uh, why…?" he asked, sitting on his bed, slipping his feet into a pair of Converse.

"I need to use your video editor." Michael replied, sitting at Josh's desk and opening the laptop.

"Well since you obviously expect a positive answer, sure, why not?" Josh scoffed.

"Thanks, bro," he smirked.

"Whatever. Just don't do anything stupid; I've got a lot of important things on there."

"Everyone worries too much about leaving me alone with electronics."

"You left your iPod in your pants once and it when through the washing machine and drier and almost got ironed." Josh stated.

"I was twelve," Michael defended himself.

"You're still you, and I really don't trust you not to do something stupid like…delete that essay that's due on the first day of school—I actually did it. Don't mess this up for me. However, if you delete one of my games, I will kill you—"

"I get it, Josh." Michael said with a dismissive wave of his hand.

Josh hesitantly headed for the door, slipping out of the room, praying that nothing happened while he was gone for five minutes.

"Doesn't your mother look spectacular in the dress I got her?" Jerome asked him as soon as he walked into the kitchen.

Josh glanced at Mara, wearing a black sweater dress with a red belt around her waist, and nodded slowly. "Yeah, you look great, mum."

"Thank you, honey," she smiled, rubbing his back as she stepped around him to the counter where she was preparing breakfast.

"I have good taste, don't I?"

"Yeah, dad, you've got great taste in women's clothing." Josh agreed, grabbing a mug from the cabinet over the coffee maker. He lifted the pot, but stopped suddenly, his heart jumping into his throat when he heard something fall on the second floor.

"Is everything alright up there?" Jerome called.

"The cat knocked some books off my bed, no worries!" Louisa hollered back.

Josh sighed in relief, proceeding with preparing his coffee.

"Josh, come here a second," Michael shouted.

Josh's chin touched his chest when his head fell forward in dread. "If he broke anything…" he ground out, forgetting his coffee, and rushing up the stairs to his room. "If you broke anything—" he began, storming into the room.

"Come watch this – I didn't break anything." Michael said with a roll of his blue eyes.

Josh sighed, watching the computer screen while Michael guided the curser to the play button. A plain black screen appeared and _Crazy Train_ began to play. Josh's eyebrows furrowed, a smile slipping onto his face when an image appear as Ozzy Osbourne's started to sing. Louisa's cat pounced after a fake mouse that was spinning around on the hardwood floor in the kitchen. He suddenly stumbled and slid across the floor on his belly, a completely unfazed expression on his face, bumping to a stop at the wall and then standing, only to do the same thing again.

Josh laughed. "Lou's gonna love that."

"Go get her for me, would you?" Michael grinned, restarting the video.

Josh knocked on Louisa's bedroom door and she opened it, cuddling her pet to her chest. "Come here," he said, "Michael wants to show you something."

She shrugged, scratching her kitten's chest with the hand that held him against her as she followed Josh into his bedroom. Michael started the video again and Louisa's face lit up with recognition when she heard Ozzy's voice come from the speakers of the laptop.

"Oh my, god, that is too cute!" Louisa gushed, holding the cat out to Michael so it stuck its head out and poked Michael's cheek with its wet nose in curiosity. "And thank you so much for the idea; I'll name him Ozzy!"

"Why?" Josh chuckled.

"Because it's perfect for him – look at him, Twinny, doesn't he look like an Ozzy?" she questioned, moving Ozzy close to his face.

Josh looked into the kitten's wide green eyes and arched a skeptical eyebrow, glancing back at his twin and then back down at the animal. "Not really, but you know, he's your cat. Plus, I don't know what else you'd name a cat. Fluffy? That's just stupid."

"Thank you for him, by the way." she smiled, wrapping her arm around his shoulders for a side hug.

"I just needed you to stop begging everyone for it." he scoffed.

Louisa laughed, nodding her head in fake belief. "I'm sure."

* * *

><p><strong>Review?<strong>

**I don't think I'd ever name a cat Ozzy. My cat's name is Tabby because when I was five, I assumed it could be a boy name, considering he's a tabby cat, it just made sense. Now, people always thinks he's a girl, but the name suits him. I mean his name was originally Adolf or something. I didn't want my cat named after Hitler, he'd probably let it get to his head and kill me in my sleep. So anyway...**

**"You don't know the half of it... Story of my life! Poison the hero, back down to zero. No consequence at all, and it only lights my fire! What doesn't kill me just makes me stronger, I'd rather live free to fail, and that's the story of my life..." -Story Of My Life, Automatic Loveletter**

**-Rachel**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Jenna Lewis hopped onto the kitchen counter in the Miller house, knocking the heel of her boot into Justin's thigh as he walked past her to the fridge.<p>

"Ow, what?" he demanded, tossing her a soda.

"Is your grandfather alright?" she asked, brushing her hair over her shoulder.

"He's worse than he was a few weeks ago. We're going to visit him this weekend." He replied, sitting at the counter and running a hand through his dirty-blond hair.

"Anything else you wanted to tell me?" she hinted, raising her eyebrows expectantly.

Justin stared at her blankly. "No."

"Nothing at all?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about. Help me out, would you?" he chuckled.

"If you're putting off asking Alice out"—he rolled his eyes, standing up, and walking out of the room—"just because of what happened with Nick over a year ago, then you're an idiot. She's over it." Jenna told him, following him. "What's the _real_ problem?"

"I don't think we'd be very compatible as a couple, considering we're not compatible, period, okay?"

"Have you met your parents?" she asked seriously.

"Jen," he began.

"You don't know unless you try." She whined. "I'm rooting so hard for you guys."

"We're not even together and you're rooting for us?"

"It's called shipping." She said, planting her hand on her hip defiantly.

Justin sighed heavily. "You told her I like her, didn't you?"

"Well, yeah, but it's not like you actually like her…do you?" she queried slyly.

"Why do you ask these questions? Okay, look, if something happened where we were suddenly in this position where we felt comfortable with dating, fine, but I'm not the only one that has an issue with this right now."

"You're still all distrusting of girls after Taylor," Jenna huffed, "and Alice was almost raped by Nick. Where does that put you guys? You're both kind of wary. Fine. I'll figure something out."

"You do that." Justin said with an annoyed shake of his head.

* * *

><p>Fiona tilted her head to the side, rearranging Louisa's curled hair under the tall crown from her costume. "Why'd you name him Ozzy, of all things?"<p>

"I'll have to show you the video Michael made of him later. You and Danni are coming over after rehearsals, right?" Louisa asked, batting Fiona's hands away, only to start pulling at the other girl's puffy sleeves.

"Yep, and speaking of Danni, where is she—"

"I'll get you, my pretty, and your little dog too!"

Fiona jumped, spinning around to stare at her best friend in shock. "Oh my, god, I should have known."

"Yeah, isn't it great?" Danni laughed, swinging the broom she held over her shoulder.

Louisa smiled. "You have no power here, be gone."

Danni stuck her tongue out at her and smacked Fiona's butt with the broom as she walked around them. "Did you guys get that essay for school done?"

"Did you forget to do it?" Fiona scoffed.

"I didn't forget, I just put it off. I guess I'll be pulling a couple all-nighters, then." She sighed before looking at Fiona slyly. "Unless a certain best friend of mine would like to lend a helping hand…?"

Fiona moaned, poking Danni's pointy hat when she stepped past her to get to the stage. "Fine, but you owe me."

"Yeah, yeah, I know."

* * *

><p>Eddie dropped onto the sofa next to his wife and kissed her shoulder over her sweatshirt. "Tired?"<p>

"What gave you that impression?" she asked.

"Your head has been bobbing for the past ten minutes. You were snoring a second ago, and you don't snore, so I'm kind of worried…" he drifted off, brushing her auburn hair over her shoulder.

"Okay, so I'm a bit tired. It's been fifteen years since I last did this, give me a break."

"I can do that. Give him to me, go sleep."

"I'm fine, Cockroach."

"Yacker," Eddie sighed warningly.

"Fine, I'll go take a nap. Wake me up in an hour okay?"

He nodded, taking Cody from her, and she stood up, rounding the couch. Before she headed upstairs, she turned back and tilted his head back, bending down to kiss him quickly.

"Thanks, Slimeball," she murmured.

"Best husband ever, right?" he smirked.

"I wouldn't go that far." Patricia laughed, climbing the stairs to their bedroom for a much needed nap.

* * *

><p>"Josh, I have a simple question, and I would appreciate a simple answer." Louisa said, taking a slice of his sandwich off the plate on the counter. She looked at the contents of the sandwich and shook her head at the sight of the egg salad, putting it back down.<p>

Josh smirked at her knowingly, taking the plate and sitting at the dining room table. "I'm a little scared, but what's up?"

"Do you like anyone?" she asked, sitting at the head of the table.

"Like…like someone?" he took a bite out of his sandwich and shook his head. "No. Everyone asks me this, but I literally never meet anyone that I've ever 'like liked'." He teasingly air quoted the end of his sentence and raised a challenging eyebrow at her. "Do you like someone?"

"There was this guy on the football team, but then I found out he was gay."

Josh smirked. "Carter Thompson? Yeah, I know about that. I could've told you."

"How did you know about it before me? You don't socialize with anyone."

He rolled his eyes. "He's hit on me a few times. Once I actually agreed to a date and the look on his face was priceless. He doesn't actually want to go out with me because he's seeing someone right now, he just wanted a reaction. That was really funny."

Louisa copied his eye roll and twirled a strand of her straight blonde hair around her finger. "I guess I don't like anyone either, then."

"Isn't it okay not to like someone? I honestly find it kind of freeing that I'm not constantly thinking about someone. I don't want to constantly have anything on my mind." he shrugged, finishing off the first half of his sandwich and opening his laptop, assuming the conversation was over.

"So who was the last girl you did like?" she asked curiously.

Josh sighed, scratching the back of his neck. "Lindsey Andrews, the 'foreign exchange student' back in Mexico? The only person in our classes that English was her first language? Her. She was nice."

"Yeah, she was really pretty. I really wanted her hair…okay, anyway, that's all I wanted to know." She said, standing up. "Would you let me know when you start liking someone?"

"Why?" he whined childishly.

"Because I could help you." She offered.

"Lou, I pretty sure I could handle it on my own. If I ever need help with relationships, I'll ask."

"Fair enough." She shrugged, patting his head. "Later, Twinny."

He batted her hand away and glared at her. "Later."

* * *

><p><strong>Review?<strong>

**Jenna is one of us. xP**

**"So here I stand, and I'm doing the best that I can. Well I'm trying to hold it together, hold it together again. Say oh, I hold a message for you, say oh, I hold a message. Won't you release me? The tide is turning. Won't you release me? My soul is burning..." -Release Me, Juliet Simms**

**-Rachel**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey! **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>"First day of grade ten," Jerome announced teasingly when Josh walked into the kitchen.<p>

"I know, isn't it great?" Louisa squealed from the dining room.

"How can she be excited to go to school again?" Josh grumbled, grabbing a muffin from the cooling rack on the counter. He took the mug of coffee that Mara offered him with a small, tired smile. "Morning, mum."

"Good morning," she smiled knowingly, "Did you stay up late last night?"

"I finished my new game. That game was absolutely beautiful. I probably acknowledged that too many times last night. It might've been really spooky, but wow, was it gorgeous." He shook his head in amazement.

Jerome leaned back on the counter, crossing his arms over his chest. "The gameplay or the setting…?"

"The whole art concept was amazing. The scenery was so real. The gameplay was great too. The story completely surprised me. There're a lot of games these days that try to pull off what this game did, with flying colors, I might add. Man, that was a good game—"

"Daddy, I'm ready," Louisa informed him.

Jerome nodded in acknowledgement, kissing Mara quickly. "See you later, darling, love you."

"Love you too," she said squeezing his hand before he walked out of the room.

"Alright, kiddies, to the van," he instructed.

* * *

><p>Josh ran a hand through his dirty-blond hair and pushed the double doors of the school open. He stepped into the hallway and looked around, in search of one of his friends. He saw Danni, Fiona, Louisa, Sarah and Jacob huddled up on the side of the hallway. He did a double take suddenly and froze, and then jerked out of staring before he even started to.<p>

"…_on the first day of school, you'll see this person that will totally just make your whole world freeze. I promise."_ His father's voice echoed in his mind suddenly and he swallowed, looking around the hallway once more.

Leo was standing at his locker , so taking a deep breath, Josh walked toward him, briefly waving at his twin on the way.

"Hey, mate," Josh said a bit awkwardly, shoving his hands into his jean pockets.

"Hey," Leo grinned.

Josh blinked. "Um…"

"We're cool, dude, don't worry about it. We'll talk about it later, but," he gestured beside him, closing his locker. "This is Alex Burke, our new class mate that I'm showing around. Alex, this is Josh Clarke."

"Hey," the taller boy smirked, holding out his hand.

Josh shook it with a slight nod. "Welcome to the school."

"Does it totally suck ass here?" he asked. Josh had half expected a British accent, but a hint of a Spanish accent flowed from his lips.

Josh didn't hesitate to answer, "Yeah…"

"Hey, twinny," Louisa smiled slyly, poking Josh's side.

"LouLou," Josh smirked, poking her back. "Alex, this is my twin sister Louisa, and these are our other friends, Fiona, Danni and Jacob."

Alex chuckled, dark brown eyes roaming up and down Louisa once. "I like that…LouLou, want a cracker?"

Louisa's welcoming smile dropped. "Only Josh can use that joke."

"You shouldn't frown, sweetheart, it's doing something ugly to your face."

"Don't call me sweetheart. I'll let that slide, since you're new. Just, don't be a jerk, alright?"

Alex grinned, watching her stalk off when the bell rang. When she was finally out of earshot, Josh let out a laugh, covering his mouth.

"Dude, don't mess with my sister. One of these days, she might take your head off for that."

Leo nodded silently and then looked over at Josh with a playful grin. "Did you see the girl your dad told you you'd see?"

Josh rolled his eyes. "Maybe, maybe not, who knows."

"Who is it?"

"I'm not telling you." He scoffed. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Alex lean back on the lockers, watching the two curiously.

"But I'm your best friend!"

"Just because you're my best friend, doesn't mean I'll tell you everything. I like to keep some things to myself, you know."

Leo sighed and then looked up a little hopefully. "Is she pretty, cute or hot?"

Josh scratched the back of his neck. "Oh, pretty hot, I think."

* * *

><p>Danni closed her locker and made her way to the front doors of the school, putting her earbuds in. She pushed open the doors and walked out into the cold courtyard in front of the building. She played her music and directed her attention to the street, looking for Justin's car. When she felt a tap on her shoulder, she turned with an expectant gaze, but she pulled her earbuds out slowly, staring at the unfamiliar guy standing behind her.<p>

"Can I help you?" she asked warily.

He ran a hand through his brown hair with an understanding, lopsided grin. "Hey, Danielle—"

Her jaw dropped in shocked realization. "Wh-what – where the hell have you been, you idiot—"

Eric Stanley slid his hands into the front pockets of his jeans. "You haven't cheated on me, have you?"

"I don't really consider us a couple anymore." She retorted, folding her arms over her chest.

"Right, it's a long story. Let me explain—"

"I don't think I will."

"Danni, come on, please? Just…get some coffee with me and I'll explain everything, okay?"

"You left without telling anyone and you were completely untraceable for a year—"

"I know, just let me explain everything. It'll make sense, I promise. Give me a chance? Please?"

Danni scoffed, shaking her head. "You're lucky that Fiona would make me give you a chance. This is the only one you're getting, though."

"I'll make the best of it. When are you available?"

"After rehearsals tomorrow; I'll meet you at the corner at four, okay?"

"You're still doing drama?" he grinned.

She shrugged, looking back at the street when a horn honked behind them. "That's my brother. See you tomorrow."

* * *

><p>"So we're good, then?" Josh asked, following Leo up the pathway to his house. "And I mean actually good, instead of just <em>saying<em> we're good while being really awkward around each other."

"Yeah, mate, I know you didn't do it. I forgive you for it. And anyway, I wanted your opinion on something: do you think I'd be any good at Tae Kwon Do?" Leo questioned, kicking his leg up but stumbling back onto his bed.

"Like karate?" Josh wondered skeptically, arching an eyebrow.

"No, it's different, but could I do something like that? My mum said that I need a hobby and considering that being a magician doesn't seem to be really working for me after that incident with Jenna's favorite jumper—"

"Yeah, dude, I'm sure you'd be great." Josh agreed.

"Cool, there's a class starting in town soon. I think I'll have my dad sign me up." He sat up and swiped a deck of cards off his nightstand. "Want to play Go Fish?"

"Sure," he chuckled, moving the TV tray in the corner of the room to the foot of the bed and wheeling the desk chair up to it.

"Alex is nice, isn't he? Though Louisa wouldn't really agree with that, I'm sure."

Josh smirked, taking the cards so he could shuffle and deal them. "Yeah, he really pushed her buttons. The others seemed okay with him, I guess. But I get this vibe from him, that he can easily piss people off. He probably won't be the most liked person we know."

"You're right; he said something to Jacob before school ended. I don't know what it was, but Jacob looked really mad." Leo nodded, taking his cards into his hand, and laying down a pair. "Got a five?"

Josh handed him the card. "He said hi to Fiona in French and Louisa called him an ass. He just laughed. I guess she doesn't really faze him."

"Maybe they just have to get used to him?" he suggested, laying down the pair.

"We just met him too – queen?"

"Go fish," Leo replied, "That's true. Have we gotten used to him yet?"

"I don't have a problem with him." Josh shrugged.

"Do you have a nine? I don't either. Then again, he didn't exactly insult either of us."

Josh shook his head and Leo drew. "Guess we'll just have to wait for him to make us hate him then. Two?"

"I hope he doesn't. I like making new friends." Leo said as he handed Josh his two.

* * *

><p><strong>Review?<strong>

**"I am the lecher bitch and I wear X of castigation. I am the whore of the extreme. I am the heretic and I crave your excommunication. Look in my eyes, get a little starstruck and a little insane. Tell me your story. Don't worry, I won't care. Cuz I'm the incomparable, got a mission impossible, just say that you love me..." -Lecher Bitch, Genitorturers**

**-Rachel**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey! Sorry for the late update! **

**Happy late New Year! :P**

**Enjoy?**

* * *

><p>Eric's head shot up, when Danni sat in the chair across from him, dropping her purse on the table carelessly, the buckles on the pockets clacking on the marble top.<p>

"Good morning," he grinned.

"Get on with it." She said impatiently, sipping from her iced latte.

Eric sighed, straightening and wrapped a hand around his fist, pressing his hands against his lips as he thought for a moment. When he was ready to speak, he folded his arms on the table top, meeting her eyes. "So…you…" he chuckled. "Sorry, I'm a little distracted; I really like your hair curled like that."

"Okay?" she arched an eyebrow indifferently.

"Still can't take a compliment, huh?" he asked knowingly. He nodded silently. "Okay, you remember when school was nearing an end and you and I were finally starting to feel more comfortable around each other and everything was going pretty alright?"

"Not exactly how I remember it, but sure, let's go with your idea." She shrugged.

"I – okay, my dad has this really amazing car, which he's fixing up, again; a bright red Jaguar XKE from somewhere between 1961 and 1974. Oh, Dan, this car is a real beauty. Now being an idiotic thirteen year old boy that wanted to impress his new girlfriend, he decided that he was going to ask her to come over and see it because he knew that she had a thing for old cars. But wouldn't you know it, he decided to take his father's midlife-crisis out for a spin."

"You were thirteen!" she hissed, realizing where the story was going.

"I know; I said I was an idiot. Completely stupid." He laughed. "I didn't drive it, but I did hop in and admire the leather seats and I might have played with every single control I could find. So when I got out, I headed up to the house, and the car started slowly rolling down the hill I live on."

Danni grinned. "What did your dad do?"

He smiled, dragging a hand through his brown hair. "He sent me to military school."

Her eyebrows rose to her hairline and he continued.

"I was going to call you and explain, or get ahold of anyone to let you know, but before I knew it, he had me on a plane to freaking America that dropped me in a military school that didn't allow cell phones. So when I finally got to a phone, I was a little nervous about calling you, and soon days turned into weeks and weeks into months and then a year, and…here I am." He scratched the back of his neck, waiting for her reaction, but when she didn't speak up, he added, "I know it's not the best reason, but it's the only one I have."

"Yeah, it's a pretty lame reason." She agreed. "And I can't believe you ruined that car!"

"My old man's getting it fixed up; it'll be fine." He assured her.

She sighed, shaking her head in disbelief.

"I'm sorry, Danni. I mean, we were really stupid. We were thirteen year olds that thought they knew how to be in a relationship. And we're still probably really stupid, but I haven't stopped liking you."

"What, do you want a second chance?" she asked him.

"That's all I'm asking for." He told her, eyes darting over her face, knowing the wheels were turning in her head.

"Let me think about it, would you?" she said finally, picking up her bag. "I've got to go. Sorry, but Louisa and I have lines to rehearse. See you around, Slimeball."

* * *

><p>"I'm thinking blue." Alice said, crossing one of her legs over the other, sitting in her desk chair.<p>

Jenna's brown eyes flitted around the room as she pondered the thought. She scrunched up her nose. "Like a baby blue?"

"No, no, like a grayish-blue," she corrected, pushing away from the desk with a color card and handed it to her. "Like, maybe all the walls but the one with the windows…or the one with my bed? Input?"

"Well, if it's this color, I think you should do all four walls. Ooh, maybe if you paint the door the same color, but the trimming will be some kind of off-white. Not too white."

Alice opened her mouth to respond, but the brunette continued excitedly.

"No, maybe a dark blue for the trimming? Oh, that'd be _really _pretty… But then what would you do for your bedding? Your bedding can't not match your walls—" she stopped suddenly. "Oh my, god, I'm turning into my mother! I am so sorry. This is your room. I should probably redo my room to get this designer out of me."

Alice laughed when Jenna collapsed on her bed as if she had fainted. "No, I really like your ideas. I could do the darker paint for the trimming – that's different."

"It'd be really pretty."

"Any other ideas?"

Jenna put a finger to her chin and hummed in thought. "Now that you mention it… I'll tell you one last time: show him how it's done, girl!"

"What are you talking about?" Alice asked, a shocked expression covering her pale face.

"You know what I'm talking about. Justin knows what I'm talking about. My grandfather knows what I'm talking about." Jenna scoffed with a roll of her eyes. "You and Justin are both experiencing anxiety on the idea of asking each other out. But out of the two of you, I know that you'd be the one to make the first move."

Alice stared at her for several seconds before sighing in defeat, tucking a strand of her blonde hair behind her ear. "Why do I have to make the first move, may I ask?"

"Because Justin's worried that you're not ready after what happened with Nick. Now, if you're not, I get that, and I'll leave you alone. But if you are…"

"No, I'm over that. Of course, being in a dark closet with another person is still terrifying and hopefully won't always will be, but…" she shrugged. "I don't know. It's just weird to think about having another boyfriend. My first was a total jerk."

"I know, but Justin's not like that." Jenna defended him.

"I know," Alice assured her with a smile. "I know he'd never do anything to…physically harm me."

"He wouldn't do anything to hurt you, period. He likes you. He admitted it to me."

"We hated each other for almost a year before we finally started warming up to each other. We're not exactly friends, but at least we look out for each other."

"At least he doesn't call you a brat anymore." She offered, pulling her cell phone out of her pocket when it alerted her of a text message.

"That's because he upgraded me to Barbie." Alice reminded, gathering her hair into her hands and pushing it atop her head.

"That's only because of that pink dress you wore on your birthday. Your hair looks pretty like that." Jenna complimented, swiping her phone open.

"I liked that dress!"

"It was really cute, even though I could never pull it off. It doesn't go well with my skin tone – oh no…"

"What? What's wrong?" Alice questioned, hurrying to sit beside and peek at the phone screen.

"Justin's grandfather had a heart attack."

"Is he going to be okay?"

"Well, he's had them before, but they've never been so bad that the whole family is flying up north to see him. The Millers will be back next week."

"I guess I'll have to 'show him how it's done' another time." Alice murmured, which gained a cheeky smile from Jenna as she texted him back.

* * *

><p>"Hey, Alex," Josh greeted, slipping his hands into his jean pockets and coming to a stop next to the taller teen at the corner of a the street.<p>

"Josh, right?" Alex spoke after a moment of thought.

Josh nodded in confirmation. "What you up to?"

A smirk pulled at the corner of Alex's lips as he shrugged. "Picking up some stuff from the grocery store for my mom." His body quaked a little when a chilling breeze swept over them and he reached into his coat pockets, pulling out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. "You mind?"

"No, you're fine, although you're making my sister hate you even more." Josh warned, casting a look back at Louisa and the others on the other side of the street, waiting for him.

He plucked the cigarette from his mouth before he could light it. The smirk threatening to spread over his face succeeded and he chuckled lowly, a dimple appearing in his left cheek. His brown eyes flew back to Josh. "Why did you come over here?"

"Wanted to know if you would consider hanging with us."

Alex shielded the flame from another waft and breathed in deeply. He stuffed his lighter back into his pocket and pulled the cigarette from his lips, blowing the smoke out of his mouth, and away from Josh. "Who wants me over there?"

"Well," Josh shrugged, "Leo and I. And I was the one roped into asking you. You should consider yourself lucky; I don't really do the whole…socializing thing very often."

"Same here, so I think I'll pass."

"Alright—"

"But if you don't like socializing, then why are you?" Alex asked simply, slipping a hand through his almost black hair easily.

"Louisa likes telling me that I need to. So to keep her off my back, I do. Sometimes." Josh caught sight of Louisa impatiently motioning to him to hurry up and silently made a face that told her to wait a minute. "If you don't want to hang out with a group, that's cool, but maybe you could come over to my place and play some video games."

Alex hissed under his breath as if Josh had made a mistake. "I hate video games."

Josh's eyebrows rose and he laughed. "Wow, I really don't like you right now."

"Sorry, I just prefer to move around, you know? I swim, work out, and play baseball and soccer – oh, wait, I'm sorry; _football_. Fucking Brits." He grumbled with a shake of his head. "No offence, Joshua."

"Don't call me Joshua," he said, feigning a pained face.

Alex grinned mischievously and changed the subject. "Maybe I'll hang out with your little group another day. But I like you. I'll hang with you any time."

Josh chuckled. "Alright, what about after school tomorrow?"

Alex trashed his cigarette and stepped on the bud with the toe of his black boot. "Pick me up at my locker, would you?"

He didn't wait for Josh to reply and walked across the street to the grocery store.

Josh watched him walk away thoughtfully and chuckled a little as he rejoined his friends.

"You were over there forever!" Fiona complained.

"Sorry," he shrugged a shoulder and fell into step with Louisa.

"I'm assuming he thinks he's too cool to hang out with us?" she said, scrunching up her nose at the image of him smoking.

"He's just got other things to do." Josh told them.

* * *

><p><strong>Review?<strong>

**I was reading your guys' reviews yesterday laughing up a storm because I know what's going to happen in the story. xP I've managed to accomplish something I've always wanted to in a story: my readers think they know what's going to happen but they don't. I'm so proud of myself! **

**In this story, I'll be doing something I've never done before...**

**"I'm the one that you need and fear. Now that you're hooked it's all becoming clear; that all your judgments that you placed on me was a reflection of discovery! So maybe next time when you cast your stones, from the shadows and the dark unknown, you will crawl from your hiding place, take a look in the mirror, and see the truth on your face!" -Whore, In This Moment**

**-Rachel**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey! **

**Enjoy?**

* * *

><p>"Hey, Emily," Alice smiled warmly, standing in front of her desk as the brunette gathered her books into her black messenger bag.<p>

"Hi, Alice," Emily Finley murmured, pushing her square leans glasses up the bridge of her nose as she stood up.

"Do you have a partner for the project yet?"

Emily shook her head. "Do you need one?"

"Would that be alright?"

"Um," she swallowed and then shrugged a shoulder. "No, I guess that'd be cool."

"Awesome! Why don't we meet in the library after school and discuss ideas? Can we swap numbers?"

"Okay," she agreed quietly, handing her phone over and tapping her number into Alice's. "Um, bye, Alice..."

"See you later," Alice waved as they parted ways.

* * *

><p>Emily pulled her cell phone out of her back pocket when it alerted her of a text message.<p>

_I'm sorry, something came up; I have to babysit. We'll meet up tomorrow. –Alice_

Emily texted her understanding reply and turned to leave the library, but stopped suddenly when Michael entered the room. Her heart began to beat wildly in her chest and she ducked her head, hiding behind her hair, attempting to leave the library without being noticed.

"Wait, Emily," he whispered, following her until she stopped at the door. "Can we talk for a second?"

Emily shakily let go of the door handle and nodded silently, leading him to the back of the library. She sat at the window and Michael stood a little awkwardly at the end of the aisle of books, slipping his hands into his pants pockets.

"I'm sorry."

Emily let out a heavy breath, lowering her head into her hands as she began to laugh tearfully in doubt. "Then why did you do it?"

Michael swallowed thickly. "I got scared."

"Scared of what?" she mumbled, annoyed at herself for letting herself slowly fall apart in front of him, but she still brought her legs up onto the ledge and hugged them to her chest.

Michael took a deep breath. "The night your dad was arrested, I was so angry and I hated him so much that I wanted to…to um, kill him. He hurt you. I didn't want him to ever have that ability again. But...you were there and I stopped before I did something that I would have regretted. And yet, I still ended up doing something that I'll be regretting for the rest of my life if I don't try to fix what I've done."

Emily didn't look up at him, but she considered his explanation, emerald eyes darting from her left converse to the right and back again.

"I don't deserve a second chance. I don't even deserve your attention right now. But I've taken the time to figure something out; I love you so much that I'd do anything for you – _anything_. So I'm going to do anything to prove that I love you."

"You kissed that girl."

"It was the stupidest thing I've ever done." He said.

"I have to go." She said quietly. "I've got to get to work."

"Can you please just think about what I said?" he pleaded as she rushed past him.

She didn't reply and hurried through the door, disappearing into the school hallway.

* * *

><p>When Josh arrived at Alex's locker after school, the teen closed his locker and slung his backpack over his shoulder.<p>

"Where's your house?" he asked.

"At the top of the subdivision." Josh replied, dragging a hand through his hair.

Alex smirked. "What, are your parents rich?"

"No," Josh said with a shake of his head.

"What do they do?"

"My mum's a doctor and my dad's a chiropractor."

"Yeah, your parents aren't rich but they make like a billion bucks a day—"

"You don't make American money in Britain, dude." Josh pointed out but Alex ignored him.

"—you live in a huge house and because you've got a thing for video games, you probably have this huge gaming set up in your bedroom." He said, glancing out of the corner of his eye to see Josh's reaction.

"You are forever banned from my bedroom."

Alex through his head back and laughed heartily before he sobered almost immediately. "I've never been banned from a bedroom for long."

Josh rolled his eyes as they neared the doors. He noticed Alex's eyes falling on a flyer on the wall for the school's swim team tryouts and asked him if he was going to give it a shot.

"I might. I don't know." He shrugged, lighting a cigarette as soon as they were out the school doors.

"Josh," Louisa's voice hollered and he looked over his shoulder at her standing near the corner of the building.

"What?" he called back.

"Come here," she motioned.

He huffed, turning to Alex briefly. "Hold on a sec."

"I'd say take your time, but I'm freezing." Alex grumbled, stuffing one of his hands in his leather jacket pocket while the other held his cigarette expertly.

"What is it, LouLou?" Josh questioned, nodding at Danni and Fiona when he stopped in front of her.

"What are you doing with him?"

"We're going to the house to hang out." He shrugged a shoulder indifferently.

"You're going to let him in our house?" she exclaimed, her eyes flitting to him and he met her eyes, which caused him to grin before he took another drag of his cancer stick. She made a sound of repulsion. "He's disgusting."

Josh chuckled under his breath. "Is that all?"

"Don't let him corrupt Gracie or Matty. And don't let him in my room. And you know mum and dad are going to hate him."

"We have to get to the house before any of that can be prevented." Josh pointed out and walked away before she could say anything else.

* * *

><p>Fiona spared a glance at Eric before turning back to Danni. "But he's so hot…"<p>

"Fiona Marie, you take that back right now!" Danni scolded.

Louisa hummed thoughtfully, studying him, and then nodding. "I agree, he kind of filled out while he was gone."

"But he's an idiot that left and didn't tell me and his explanation sucks!"

Fiona and Louisa shared a look.

"But he wants a chance to make it right. And he's right: you two were too young. But now, you're fifteen, going on sixteen, and ready to join the dating scene." Fiona said, twirling a strand of her brown hair around her finger.

Danni frowned, her posture putting off an uninterested vibe, but her voice was quiet. "I don't want to get hurt again."

"No one wants to get hurt, Dan." Louisa said softly, joining Fiona in hugging her. "You just have to take a chance sometimes. Giving him a second chance is all you have to do. If he blows it, don't give him another chance. Simple as that."

Danni groaned, eyes flitting to Eric talking to a friend of his that was in the play, and looking away instantly. "I can't stand him sometimes."

"He's built like Chase Crawford. That's who I was thinking of…" Fiona murmured in realization.

"Fiona, please," Danni sighed.

"Sorry, right, what do you want us to say? You want us to tell you to give him a second chance? To turn him down? To kick him where it hurts? Seriously, DeeDee, only you can make this decision."

"I know, that's why I don't like it." She pulled her cell phone out of her jeans pocket when her phone's ringtone shrilled. "Yeah? Okay, I'll be right out."

"You guys need to catch your plane?" Louisa asked.

"Yeah, I'll see you guys when I get back." She said, swinging her bag's strap over her chest.

"I hope your grandfather gets better."

"Thanks, but I'm pretty sure this is where the Sweets end." Danni said sadly.

* * *

><p>"Thank you so much," Mara smiled at Alex and squeezed Josh's shoulder.<p>

"It's not a problem, Mrs. Clarke." Alex replied politely as she got to work putting away the groceries that the boys had helped her carry into the house.

"I come baring a monkey and Spiderman!" Jerome announced, walking in through the front door.

Alex blinked, confusion obvious on his face.

"Hi, mummy!" Gracie smiled brightly. "Can I help put away the food?"

"Absolutely, darling." Mara handed her two cans of soup to stack in the pantry.

"Hi, Joshy!" she hugged his legs.

"Hey, Gracie, how was school?" Josh asked.

"Good! I drew something for you. But you can't see it yet!" she warned. She held the cans to her chest and looked up at Alex. "Hi, I'm Gracie Lee Clarke."

Alex grinned, crouching to her level. "I'm Alex Sebastian Burke."

"Your middle name is Sebastian?" Josh snorted.

"Don't tell anyone or I'll have to kill you."

"Can I call you Alexy?" Gracie asked him.

"You can call me anything you want, Gracie." He winked.

"M-mum," Matty grinned, rushing into the room. "Look what Lynn found for me!" He pulled the Spiderman mask over his dirty-blonde curls and covered his face. He held his hands out like he was shooting webs. "Isn't i-it awesome?"

"That is so cool!" she laughed.

"N-now if dad can't s-save you, I c-can! I am the Am-mazing Sp-spiderman!" he cheered. "Josh, isn't it c-cool?"

"That's the coolest Spiderman mask I've ever seen, bro." his older brother smirked.

"Where's M-Michael?" he questioned hurriedly.

"Upstairs, I think." Mara answered.

"Michael!" he cried, running out of the room.

"Did you just get home?" Jerome asked Mara. He reached around her to take several boxes to put away and leaned down, pressing a kiss to her shoulder.

"Yeah, Alex and Josh helped me bring in the groceries." She told him.

"Alex?" Jerome handed the last box to Gracie so she could put it away and turned to Alex.

"Wait, there's…four of you? I'm confused; there's a lot of names going around. Michael could be the dog for all I know." He said to Josh.

"There's six of us." He Josh said and introduced him to his father.

"A pleasure, Mr. Clarke." He held out his hand and Jerome shook it firmly. He looked back at Josh. "There's six of you? Which one are you?"

"I'm the fourth."

"Holy sh—" he stopped, eyes flitting to Gracie, "—cheese."

Josh snickered.

"So where's this room of yours that I'm banned from because I can read you like an open book?" Alex smirked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Up the stairs, second door on the left." Jerome informed helpfully.

"Thank you, Mr. Clarke." Alex grinned, twisting to leave the room.

"Alex, don't, you really don't need to go in my room." Josh sighed, following him but attempting to stop him.

Alex pushed the door open once he had climbed the stairs and found the second door to the left. He walked in with his hands in his jeans pockets. His brown eyes darted around the room, landing on his flat screen TV mounted on the wall across from his bed, the gaming counsel on a shelf under it, and the bookshelf that was completely filled with game cases instead of books. "Really? I live in the poor side of the subdivision." he scoffed. "I can't even afford to rent a movie for a night."

Josh guiltily rubbed the back of his neck.

Alex laughed, punching the blond's arm. "Dude, relax, I don't give a shit. However, I've got to know, what does a fifteen year old computer geek need with a big ass bed like this thing?"

Josh watched Alex walk around his room, pulling out drawers and flipping books open. "I…like big beds."

Alex laughed throatily. "I like big beds and I cannot lie – I fucking hate that song. I don't even need to ask if your parents will be pissed if I smoke in here."

"Yeah, it's not going to happen. Come with me." He jerked his head toward the door and headed down the hallway. He led him up to the attic and climbed out of the window onto the roof.

"Nice," Alex nodded, sitting beside him. He lit up a cigarette and bent his legs, resting his arms on his knees. "So Mara's not your biological mother, then."

"Nope, she and my dad got married last year."

Alex didn't reply, just nodded in acknowledgment.

"And it's just you and your mum?" Josh asked, eyes sweeping over him.

A smiled pulled at Alex's lips. He breathed out a puff of smoke. "That's the way it's always been."

"What does she do?" he asked, beginning to stare without realizing it.

"She graduated culinary school last month. She's looking for work here, and once she's got enough experience and money, she wants to open her own restaurant." He explained.

"Can she do it?" he said, his voice giving away his runaway thoughts.

"Without a doubt. My mom's the best cook ever."

Josh swallowed and Alex's smile tightened.

"Stop staring."

"I'm sorry." Josh groaned, rushing his hands through his hair in aggravation.

"It's alright, just stop staring." Alex mumbled, taking a longer drag of his cigarette. He pulled his jacket sleeve over the palm of his hand so his wrist was no longer visible to Josh.

"I'm such a prick. I've never met anyone that's self-harmed, that's why."

"That's understandable. My mom stares whenever she wants to know if I'm okay or not." He shrugged a shoulder. He burned out the tip of his cigarette on the bottom of his shoe before flicking it off the roof and grabbing another one instantly.

"Can we change the subject?"

"Yeah, that'd be great, thanks." Alex chuckled awkwardly. He looked up at the sky and his face lit up happily. "Hey, you can see the stars here."

Josh glanced up as if just realizing that it had gotten so dark the stars could barely be seen in the sky.

"We lived in Puebla, Mexico, really close to the Aztec Pyramids, until we moved to New York so my mom could go to school. You couldn't see the stars in New York. I almost forgot they were up there." He shook his head at himself, putting out his cigarette.

Ozzy suddenly meowed from inside the attic room and padded toward the window. Alex's dark brown eyes widened when he saw the feline. He hurriedly jumped back into the room and scooped the kitten up before it could react. Instantly it purred loudly, rubbing his face against Alex's as he held him against his chest.

"Oh my, god, this cat is too cute!" he said in awe. He kissed Ozzy's jaw and running the palm his hand from his head and down his back several times.

"That's Ozzy, Louisa's cat." Josh informed him, closing the window behind him.

"Josh?"

Josh and Alex turned to Louisa when she flicked on the light and they blinked at the harsh glare for a moment.

"What are you two doing up here?" she asked.

"Smoking," Alex replied.

"Hanging," Josh shrugged.

Alex looked back at Josh. "Ozzy, like Ozzy Osbourne? Don't get me wrong, I love Ozzy, but he looks nothing like an Ozzy."

Louisa shrugged boredly. "Who does he look like then?"

"He looks like Snowball from _Stewart Little_." He grinned, holding him out to Josh. "Look at that face. Haven't you seen _Stewart Little_? Doesn't he look like Snowball with that little kitten scowl?"

Josh laughed, leaning away from the cat a little. "Yeah, he does, but seriously? _Stewart Little_?"

Alex rolled his eyes. "Don't judge me; that's my favorite movie."

"It's time for supper, Josh." Louisa told him, taking Ozzy from Alex, which caused Alex to whine childishly.

Josh and Alex trailed after her down to the first floor of the house and when they stopped in the doorway of the dining room, Mara looked up from dishing Matty's serving.

"Hey, Alex, would you like to stay for supper?" she asked.

"Thank, Mrs. Clarke, I'd love to, but I can't; my mom's experimenting with Tai food tonight." He chuckled, folding his arms across his chest. He tapped Josh on the shoulder with the back of his hand as he turned to leave. "If you don't see me at school tomorrow, I've either got food poisoning or I'm dead." He saluted to the family. "It was nice meeting you guys."

"You too, Alex." Jerome bid him farewell with a wave.

"Bye, Alexy!" Gracie called and he responded with a laugh.

Josh sat at the table and noticed Louisa's annoyed look as she stared at him. He chuckled. "What?"

"I can't believe you let him in our house." She muttered.

* * *

><p><strong>Review?<strong>

**"Get ready to settle the score! Get ready to face the floor! 'Cause it's time to remember it (war)! This is war and it's on tonight, so get up and fight, get up and fight. You've had all your life to run and hide, step up, step up. Let's do this." -War, Sick Puppies**

**-Rachel**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>"Do you think she'd give him a second chance?" Sarah asked, scratching the back of her neck.<p>

"Danni is kind of unpredictable in relationships apparently. We didn't even know she was going to say yes to Eric. However, she might not give him a chance this time after his stupid reason." Louisa replied, twisting Fiona's brown hair into a long braid.

"His reason is conceivable."

"His reason isn't why she might not give him a chance, though." Fiona pointed out.

"Right, it could also be fear." Louisa agreed.

"What do you think, Sarah? Should she give him another chance?"

Sarah breathed in deeply and let it out slowly. "I think that it all depends if Dan thinks he deserves one."

"Always the practical one, never the romantic."

Sarah feigned shock, chuckling. "I'm sorry, but it's her decision. If it was me, I would want to give him a second chance, but I'd be just as scared as Danni. There's a chance he could do something like that all over again."

"Let's stop talking about this. It's weird talking about Danni while she's not even here." Louisa said.

"She really believes that her granddad won't make it?" Sarah asked.

Fiona nodded sadly. "She told me that her dad hopes he'll be able to hold on long enough to see Cody for the first time."

"Don't you think that'd be a nice way to pass away, though? Surrounded by people you love and meeting your grandson for the first time?"

"This just got really morbid." Louisa hissed.

Fiona laughed a little. "You're right, it would be nice, but Louisa's also right, we should change the subject."

Louisa combed all of her hair over her left shoulder and tilted her head to the side. "I'm thinking about cutting my hair."

"Aw, no, it's so pretty!" Fiona protested.

"How short?" Sarah asked.

Louisa flattened her hand and made a cutting motion over her ear, and in response, the other girls' eyes widened.

"That is really short!" Fiona shrieked.

"You know Shailene Woodley's short hair? I want that."

Sarah hummed thoughtfully, trying to picture Louisa with hair that length, and then she started to slowly nod. "I think it'd look good."

"Really? I was going to ask my dad if he'd let me. Do you think I should? I want a change."

Fiona whined a little and then fell back on Sarah's bed. "Fine! Do it!"

"Are you crying?" Louisa laughed.

"No!"

* * *

><p>"Hi, Alexy!" Gracie grinned, skipping into the common room.<p>

"Hey, Gracie, how's it going?" he asked.

"Fantastic! I have something for you!" she held up a finger, silently telling him to wait a second, and rushed back out of the room.

"Now I wish I had a little sister." Alex sighed, falling back into the sofa and draping his long arms over the back of it.

"I'll share her with you." Josh joked.

Alex mumbled something in Spanish.

"What?"

Alex smirked over at him. "You don't know Spanish?"

He laughed, shaking his head. "Lived in Mexico but never learned Spanish. It's hard."

Alex relaxed his neck so his head fell back against the couch and laughed. "It's not hard."

"It is though. You can say it's not hard because speaking Spanish is in your blood."

"Look, Alexy," Gracie piped up, appearing at his side. She held up a piece of paper with a colorful drawing on it. "This is you, and me, and Joshy."

Josh snickered, looking over Alex's shoulder at it. "You look so gloomy next to us in your black clothes."

Alex grinned, taking the paper from her. "You're really good at drawing. How old are you?"

"Seven," she smiled proudly.

"Wow, and this good? Dang, girl… Wait, what are we doing here? Playing a board game?"

"Yeah, Candy Land," she informed him with a nod.

"No kidding? That's my favorite board game!"

"Do you want to play with me and Joshy?" she asked excitedly, hanging on the arm of the sofa.

"Yeah, Joshy, let's play Candy Land." Alex laughed, grabbing onto his arm.

Josh gave Alex a deadpanned stare and then looked at his little sister. "Sure, let's play."

"I'll go get it."

"I'm going to destroy you, Burke." Josh smirked.

"Wanna bet?" Alex challenged.

"Here it is," Gracie cheered, setting it on the coffee table and unpacking the box quickly.

"You've even got the original. This is the best day of my life."

Josh and Alex sat across from each other on the floor at the coffee table. They selected their pawns and began the game with Gracie already moving spaces across the board that put quite a bit of distance between her and the boys.

"Maybe neither of us will win." Josh mumbled.

"You're giving up already?" Alex asked in disappointment.

"Oh, come on, she's already at the peanut lady and we haven't gotten past the first green space."

"You give up too easily, Joshua—"

"Seriously, don't call me Joshua."

"—Even if the odds are against you, you have to give it your all."

Josh rolled his bright eyes. "I'm still playing, aren't I?"

"But you're being such a Debby Downer about the whole game."

"No I'm not." Josh laughed.

"Yes, you are."

"Alexy, it's your turn." Gracie cut in.

"Oh, sorry, Gracie." He drew a card and moved his red gingerbread pawn to the designated tile.

"Don't fight, you guys are friends," she scolded.

"We're not fighting." Josh shrugged.

"It's just some playful banter." Alex backed up.

"You're not mad at each other?" she asked.

"Oh, no, Gracie, Joshy can't get enough of me." Alex assured her.

"Who's the one that asked to hang out today? I could be playing Minecraft right now." Josh scoffed.

"You could've said no." the brunet retorted.

"I didn't want to hurt your feelings—"

"Stop fighting!"

"We're not fighting," Josh denied again.

"Gracie, have you ever seen the movie _Stewart Little_?"

"No, she hasn't." Josh answered for her.

"Gracie, you and I are having a movie night tonight. Joshy, would you like to join us?" he grinned, tilting his head.

Josh stared at him blankly.

"Please, Joshy, it would be so much fun! We'll have popcorn!" Gracie pleaded, the game momentarily forgotten.

"Yeah, I'll watch it with you guys."

"Alright," Alex cheered, high fiving Gracie.

* * *

><p>"Now, I have a list of names for the baby." Mara said, ambushing Jerome as he walked out of the bathroom. He stopped short to avoid running into her and chuckled, swiping a hand through his hair.<p>

"Alright, what are they?" he asked, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and leading her to their bed. He loosened his skinny black tie and fell back on the mattress as Mara sat on the edge with her notebook.

"For a girl: Lucy, Maddison, Cheyenne or Rebecca. For a boy: Oliver, Tyler, Marcus or Thomas." She listed. "Do you have any?"

Jerome drummed his fingers on his stomach and replied, "Anthony or Juliette."

"Only two?" she huffed, scooting closer to him so she could meet his eyes.

"Honey, I've already had six kids; I've kind of run out of names I like." He smirked, lifting his upper body onto his elbow so he could kiss her. "I like Cheyenne and Tyler though."

"Good," she smiled, setting her notebook in her lap and cupping her husband's cheeks to kiss him again.

* * *

><p><strong>Review?<strong>

**"I am an enemy of everything, my life is not for sale, my heart is in this fight forever. What can you take from me when there's not a single fucking day I haven't fought to stay alive. We're finding hope in the hopeless, I am still their voice that gets stuck in your head. I am me and I've come to fucking scare you to death because that's what you deserve, you disgusting piece of shit!" -Devil's Night, Motionless In White**

**-Rachel**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey! **

**Enjoy?**

* * *

><p>"…so then she flipped the guy off and he looked at her like she was insane." Alex wheezed, laying on Josh's bed with his head hanging off the edge. "My mom is the best."<p>

Josh didn't respond, lounging in his beanbag chair, but nodded in acknowledgment, his fingers moving nimbly over the PS3 controller, controlling his Minecraft character to charge a zombie with a sword.

Alex flipped onto his stomach and stared at him. "Joshua…" he whispered.

"Don't call me Joshua." Her mumbled.

"Oh, you heard that?"

Josh scoffed, mining through a wall of stone and turning to Alex briefly to send him a deadpanned look. "I heard everything you just said."

"Really." He replied in disbelief. "Prove it: what band was on my t-shirt that day?"

"You didn't mention anything about your clothes."

"How old was I?"

"Fourteen."

"Lucky guess. Where were we?"

"Central Park."

Alex narrowed his eyes suspiciously and hummed. "Alright. So you were listening. However, you were so quiet, how the hell do you expect me to know?"

Josh shrugged. "Just believe me when I say that I'm a really good listener. If you ever want to get something off your chest and you don't want any feedback, I'm your guy."

Alex grinned. "I'll keep that in mind."

His head snapped around to the door of Josh's room when a meowed sounded from behind it, followed by claws scratching the wood. He jumped up and rushed to the door, whipping it open to find Ozzy on the other side. "Snowball!" he grinned, scooping the feline into his arms and closing the door behind him. He sat beside Josh on the floor and rolled Ozzy out in front of him, gently rubbing his belly. "He's so fucking cute, oh my, god." He mumbled, catching one of the kitten's fluffy white paws in between his fingers.

"Oh, brother," Josh rolled his eyes.

"Don't be jealous." Alex said absentmindedly.

Before he could retort, Mara called him from the kitchen.

"_Josh, honey, could you come downstairs for a quick second? I need your help with something."_

Josh quickly blocked his character into a corner and stood up, dragging a hand through his hair. "I'll be right back. Don't make out with the cat while I'm gone."

"No promises." Alex mumbled, lifting the cat off the floor as Josh left the room. He balanced Ozzy on his palm, moving him around as a way of pretending he was flying. "_Do you wanna build a snowball_? Of course, that snowball won't be as wonderful as the original."

"Ozzy," Louisa cooed from the hallway. She poked her head into the room for a brief second before storming into the room. "What are you doing with Ozzy?"

Alex looked up at her. "You mean Snowball."

"Just because you think he looks like some grumpy old cat from a children's movie, doesn't mean his name is Snowball now." She snapped.

"Don't you like _Stewart Little_?" he asked.

"No, I don't."

Alex frowned and held Ozzy up to her silently.

She carefully took him and tucked the cat under her arm protectively. "You know, I think you're a bad influence. You might get Josh to start smoking, and I'm in no way okay with that."

"Josh isn't going to let me influence him, LouLou." Alex said calmly. "And I wouldn't want him to start smoking. It's an awful habit to get into."

"I'm just saying that you don't seem like an okay guy and there's something off about you."

"Is there now?"

"I don't like you and I wish Josh wasn't friends with you."

"I think that you should respect that I'm Josh's friend."

She glowered at him with glowing blue eyes and without another word, she left the room.

Josh looked back at her over his shoulder as he was entering the room and then plopped back into his beanbag chair, not bothering to wonder what she had been doing.

Alex pulled his backpack off the bed and unzipped it, pulling a book out of it.

"What's that?" Josh asked.

"_Where the Sidewalk Ends_." Alex said with a happy smile. "Ever heard of it?"

"That's one of those books with the weird poetry and drawings to match, right?"

"This is my favorite book."

Josh stole a quick look at the worn brown cover and the pages that were ripped from the spine. "Looks like it."

"Want to hear the story of how I got it?"

"Sure."

Alex wet his lips and crisscrossed his legs, flipping the book open, careful not to lose any of the pages. "Now, you know that the guy my mom conceived me with had emptied her bank account and taken off when I was a couple months old, right? And my momma had a hard time keeping our heads above the water, and she gave everything she had to me, blah blah blah – well, when I was…seven, I found this book in a bookstore and spent a couple hours trying to read as much of it as I could, even though I didn't know a lot of the words. Now, it was almost my birthday and my mom couldn't do much for it. She was never the type of woman to beat around the bush; I knew that we had money issues. I knew that we were barely getting by every day. I knew everything because my mom told me everything. So I hadn't asked for anything. Welp, I got two presents: _Where the Sidewalk Ends_ and breakfast for dinner." He laughed, leafing through the pages quickly before stopping.

"Your mom's pretty inspiring." Josh commented.

"She's extraordinary!" he shoved Josh's shoulder and looked down at the book. "This is my favorite one, _Peanut Butter Sandwich. _Which is ironic; I'm allergic to peanut butter."

"I'll never give you a peanut butter cookie then."

"Appreciate it. You got any allergies?"

Josh chuckled. "Bleach. Of all things."

"I won't hug you if I'm wearing a bleached shirt."

"Appreciate it." He repeated.

"I'm going to read this to you." Alex announced, making himself comfortable, laying out on the floor, propped up by one of his elbows. "_I'll sing you a poem of a silly young king who played with the world at the end of a string…"_

* * *

><p>Jerome looked up from his laptop briefly, eyes flitting back down before he jumped in fright, directing his attention up to Louisa standing in front of him with an emotionless expression, eyes wide. "Louisa Claire!" he sighed heavily, dragging his hands down his face. "What have I told you about doing that? You can do it to strangers in the car when we're stopped at a light all you want, but please don't ever do it to me."<p>

"Sorry," she giggled, taking a seat on the sofa next to him. "I needed to ask you something."

"What is it?"

"Can I get my hair cut?"

Jerome shrugged. "Sure."

"Like this?" she held her cell phone out to him.

His eyebrows rose when he studied the picture for a moment. "If you want to go that short, go for it."

"Thank you! Can mum take me?"

"You got to ask her that."

"Thanks, daddy—"

"I'm completely serious though, don't ever do that eyeball thing to me again or I'll ground you." He said before she could leave the room and she responded with a silent nod.

* * *

><p>"Hey, bro," Jenna greeted, scooping a spoonful of ice cream into her mouth.<p>

Leo looked up at her from the living room sofa. "Isn't it a bit cold out for ice cream?"

Jenna arched an eyebrow and spoke without swallowing. "There is never a wrong time for ice cream."

Leo relented with a shrug and turned back to his laptop.

"What're you doing?" she asked, sitting on the arm of the sofa so she could see the screen better.

When he took a minute to reply, she touched his neck with the tips of her cold fingers and he hunched his shoulders in discomfort. "I'm thinking about signing up for a martial arts class." He replied in embarrassment.

She nodded. "So why haven't you clicked the submit button yet? You've got the form filled out. What's the hold up?"

He shrugged again, avoiding looking at her. "I don't know if I should do it. I'm not exactly the sporty type."

"Do you want me to do it for you? Come on, Leopold, push it." She whispered.

He took a deep breath, closed his eyes and tapped the enter button quickly. "Am I going to regret that?"

"Maybe, maybe not, you just need to go out there and do it to find out." Jenna said.

* * *

><p><strong>Review?<strong>

**Last night, my grandma needed help getting gas because she recently got surgery done on her foot and my parents made me go because my brother was sleeping and I was just like, "are you kidding me? Sending me out when I don't have any idea what I'm doing?" First, it was freezing. Second, the whole station was insanely crowded because the gas was a buck a gallon or something so that just made my anxiety fly through the freaking roof. :(**

**"Roxanne...you don't have to put on the red light. Those days are over; you don't have to sell your body to the night. Roxanne, you don't have to wear that dress tonight, or walk the streets for money. You don't care if it's wrong or if it's right..." Roxanne, Juliet Simms (The Police cover)**

**-Rachel**


	10. Chapter 10

**I had one hell of a scare today when some douche with their head up their ass photoshopped a tweet of Andy's to make it look like he had told everyone that he and Juliet had broken up. However, it was FAKE and I'm so relieved. I knew in my heart that it was fake though, because the way "he" had gone about "telling everyone" was not what Andy would have done. :)**

**So yay! **

**I almost cried. **

**Anyway...**

**Enjoy! **

* * *

><p>Fiona sighed sadly, stirring her coffee slowly. "Danni's grandfather passed away last night."<p>

"Are you serious?" Sarah murmured from beside her. "Gosh, I hope the family's handling it okay."

"I'm sure they are." Leo spoke up. "The Millers are a tough family."

Jacob casually rested his arm on the back of the booth and popped a piece of crumb cake that he and Sarah were sharing into his mouth. "When are they getting back?"

"Next week. The funeral is being sorted out and stuff." Leo replied with a half shrug.

"Am I the only one sitting here, feeling like there's someone missing besides Louisa and Danni?" Fiona realized, brown eyes widening.

"Everyone forgot about me, didn't they?" Josh feigned hurt, sliding into the booth beside Leo and setting his coffee down on the table.

"I didn't." Leo grinned. "How's it going mate?"

"Fine," he shrugged, lifting a hand to run it through his hair.

"Your new boyfriend can't cuddle today?" Fiona teased.

Josh tilted his head in confusion and she blushed sheepishly.

"I was trying to fill in for Danni. Sorry."

He rolled his eyes, rolling his tongue over his teeth in slight annoyance. "I was just with Louisa and my mum, we were out getting some 'back to school' things, and then we were standing in front of a hair salon and Louisa was banishing me."

"Oh, she's getting her hair cut today?" Sarah asked, her voice shaking slightly when Jacob's hand brushed against his shoulder as he reached out to grab his coffee.

"I'm sad about it, but I'm also really excited to see how it turns out." Fiona commented.

* * *

><p>Louisa let out a breath to brace herself for the first look at her new haircut. When she was turned toward the mirror, she opened her eyes, and smile spread across her face. "Wow, this is going to take forever to get used to! I love it!"<p>

She stood up and followed the hairstylist to the front of the shop, smiling at Mara when she looked up from a book she had been reading.

"Oh my, gosh, you look gorgeous." She gushed, tracing her blonde styled bangs with a finger. "You definitely have your father's hair."

Louisa giggled, moving her hand down the back of her head, her heart skipping a beat at the unfamiliar feeling of short hair.

After paying for the haircut, they left the salon and Mara told Louisa to go hang out with her friends.

"I've got to take Gracie to Amber's anyway." She said and kissed her cheek before walking off down the street.

* * *

><p>Fiona twirled a strand of her hair around her finger. "Should I do something new with my hair?"<p>

"Maybe if you curl it like you mom does sometimes?" Sarah suggested thoughtfully.

"Ooh, girl talk, can I join?" Alex smirked, sitting next to Josh, which caused the blond to be scrunched up between him and Leo. Leo scooted farther to the right so Josh could have more room, and he sent his best friend a thankful glance.

"Hi, Alex," Sarah greeted with a smile.

"Hey," he replied and then his eyebrows furrowed. "Sorry, what's your name again?"

"Sarah."

"It's not Stephanie?" he asked.

"No…"

He pointed to Jacob. "And you're not Charlie?"

He chuckled. "No, I'm Jacob."

Alex fell back in the booth, a bewildered expression on his tan face. "Who was I talking to?"

Josh arched an eyebrow at him and shook his head, sipping from his coffee.

"Presenting, Louisa Clarke," Louisa proclaimed, spreading her arms as she walked up to the table.

"Oh my, god, you look amazing!" Fiona gaped in awe. She stood up so she could fiddle with Louisa's freshly cut hair, fawning over it excitedly.

"Wow, Lou, that cut really suits you!" Sarah admired.

Louisa slid into the booth between Sarah and Fiona and smiled at Josh. "How do you like it, Twinny?"

"Looks great," he shrugged.

"So enthusiastic," she teased with a roll of her eyes.

"Doesn't she look amazing, boys?" Fiona asked Jacob and Leo and they responded with a chorus of compliments.

"Alex, what do you think?" Sarah asked and Louisa scoffed, giving him a bored stare.

"Don't give your opinion."

He grinned, shaking his head. "I don't have one."

* * *

><p>"Arty, do you want to learn how to draw a panda bear? I can teach you." Gracie offered, opening her sketchbook on the kitchen table and sifting through a box of assorted crayons for a random color.<p>

"Sure," Arthur Lewis nodded excitedly, observing her movements closely as she showed him how to draw the body.

"So you're feeling fine, then?" Amber asked Mara, clutching a cup of tea as she stood next to the kitchen counter.

"Yeah, nothing's wrong, I'm fine and the baby is fine." She shrugged with a smile, popping a chip into her mouth.

"Any weird cravings?" Amber asked teasingly.

"Cantaloupe," Mara made a face.

"Oh, you can't stand cantaloupe," Amber grasped sympathetically.

"It's fine, I can deal with it."

"For the next…nine months?"

Mara sighed, planting her chin on her palm. "Yes."

Amber laughed. "Do you two want to know the sex?"

"Oh, yeah, we want to decide on a name ahead of time." Mara replied.

"Mum," Arthur called, holding up his paper and Gracie did the same with her sketchbook, hollering for Mara's attention. "Look what Gracie and I drew. She taught me how."

"Those are beautiful, darlings." Amber cooed.

"Fantastic job, guys." Mara encouraged.

"Do you want to learn how to draw a boat with Leo?" Gracie asked them.

"Sure, why not?" Mara answered, sitting at the table with Amber.

* * *

><p><strong>Review?<strong>

**"We checked out of this place, been vacant so long, why won't the past just leave me alone? Get out of my head, there's just no more room. How could you forget: there's no me and you? Won't give anymore, nothing's unsaid. There's no me or you, how could you forget?" -The Guest, Automatic Loveletter**

**So, lately, all I've been listening to has been Juliet because the countdown till the release of "All or Nothing" (her debut solo EP!) has begun and there's only like 17 more days until pledgers get it and I'm a pledger so I'm sO FREAKING STOKED YOU HAVE NO IDEA! **

**So, yeah, the songs at the end of the chapters may be Juliet/AutoLove for a while. But that's not a bad thing at all... ;)**

**Thank you all for the reviews, love you! xxx **

**-Rachel**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey! **

**Can you all do me a _HUGE _favor? Go to my profile and click on the first link on their and vote for Black Veil Brides for the Most Dedicated Fans award? Please? They're losing to stop stupid, unknown band called X Japan that didn't do anything in 2014 and it's so stupid! The whole thing is probably rigged. Anyway, you can vote once every hour, so if you could vote as much as you could, that'd be great- thank you so much! **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Alex stormed into Josh's bedroom and locked the door behind him. Josh glanced at him in shock, his attention momentarily pulled away from his video game. He opened his mouth to question him, but Alex shushed him. "Don't. Keep playing your game; don't look at me. I'm going to tell you something."<p>

Josh closed his mouth and continued, commanding his character to reload his pistol and crouch in front of a window.

Alex took a deep breath, sitting beside him on the floor, and resting his arms on his knees. "Okay, so in New York, where my mom went to culinary school, I met my best friend Tristan. He and I did like, everything together and we always had each other's backs. He was two years older than me, but we didn't care; we were kids and it didn't matter. Anyway, we went to the same school, different grades, but we still saw each other all the time. And one day, he was invited to sit with the 'popular kids' lunch table – which is such a cliché. Next thing I knew, he was pushing me up against a locker, calling me names and stealing my backpack so he could dump my books into dumpsters or puddles." He stopped and looked down at Josh's hands.

His fingers were no longer darting over the controller and the game had ended, but his eyes remained fixated on the screen.

Alex smiled softly and looked down at loose string on his blue jeans. "So when you pile bullying and betrayal onto failing academically, feeling like shit and disconnected from the world, it puts people in a really dark place where they do stupid things. And when I started self-harming, it gave him more things to torture me with. It was like he completely forgot everything." He shrugged, dragging a hand through his dark brown hair. "I mean, I'm over it now. I don't cut for that reason anymore, but that's where it started. I just wanted you to know that."

Josh nodded discreetly but didn't look away from the TV.

Alex sighed heavily and stood up. "I should go. I told my mom I'd pick up some things from the store. She's experimenting with sushi tonight."

Josh smirked. "Don't die."

"Not today," he replied quietly, leaving the room.

* * *

><p>"Yeah, so he had a heart attack, but he just drifted off in his sleep," Danni explained to Fiona over the phone. "The doctors said that it had nothing to do with the attack. If it wasn't his time, he would've been fine."<p>

"But he saw all of you before…right?" Fiona asked.

"Yeah, that's all my dad wanted. My grandfather was pretty old."

Fiona nodded even though Danni couldn't see her and lifted her feet onto the park bench. "How's weather up there?"

"You're feeling so awkward on this conversation topic that you're trying to convert it to the weather?" Danni deadpanned.

"No, I was just wondering because it's starting to warm up."

"It's not going to last."

"I know, but it's nice out. I was taking a walk when you called."

"It's still pretty wintery up." She replied. "How are the others?"

"They're all good, I think. Sarah, Louisa and I have been so lonely without—"

"I'm the life of the party of life."

"Jacob and Sarah are…well, they seem to be getting really cozy lately."

"How so?"

Fiona took a deep breath, scratching behind her ear as she thought a second. "Well, like yesterday, we were all at the coffee shop and they were sitting next to each other, and Jacob had his arm over the back of the booth over Sarah's shoulders. Now, granted, it could have been totally casual, but I don't think it was. I think it was totally deliberate. And Sarah was totally obvious when she kept blushing as bright as a ripe tomato. They totally have a thing for each other."

"Totally," Danni teased.

Fiona rolled her chocolate brown eyes. "And Leo is apparently starting a karate class or something, which I think is a little interesting."

"What, is it like a New Year's resolution or something?"

"It could be, I suppose."

Danni sighed heavily from the other line and a light thump sounded from the speaker when she had fallen back on a hotel bed. "And Josh?"

"Josh has been hanging out with the new kid, Alex, a lot lately."

"He's not neglecting Leo, is he?"

"No, I think they're hanging out today."

"Good. What's up with this Alex guy anyway?"

"Well," Fiona stood up, straightened her black and white striped jacket, and continued with her walk down the park sidewalk. "Josh and Leo like him. Sarah and I are still kind of on the fence. Jacob doesn't really seem to care about him much. And Louisa, well, she still kind of hates him. A lot."

"And how does he seem to like everyone?"

"I don't think he cares about any of us, honestly. Well, maybe he cares about Josh, but he acts so indifferent around us. Except, I think he likes Louisa." She hissed into her cell phone, as if she was scared that Louisa would jump out and scream at her for even thinking such a thought.

"What is with you and thinking that guys like girls when they pick on them?" Danni laughed.

"I'm serious, he'll look at her with this cheeky grin all the time. I kind of ship them."

Fiona could practically hear Danni roll her eyes. "Maybe he knows something she doesn't."

"Like what?" she asked with wide eyes.

"I don't know. Maybe he knows the meaning of life. _Or _maybe he's just a cheeky little shit."

Fiona sighed. "You make it really hard to ship people."

* * *

><p>"Jenna pressured me, man." Leo sighed, hopping onto the kitchen counter and reached into the cookie jar, pulling out on of his mother's freshly baked chocolate chip cookies. He tossed one to Josh and grabbed two glasses from the cupboard behind him while Josh lifted the gallon of milk out of the refrigerator.<p>

"What, did she hold your arm behind your back until you tapped out?"

"No, she just kept telling me that I wouldn't know unless I tried."

"That's true," Josh pointed out, pouring milk into the glasses. He bit into his cookie and took a swig of his drink. "So when's the first class?"

"Friday. I'm really nervous."

"Don't be," the blond shrugged. "You'll do great. Why did you want to do this again?"

"Because I need a hobby."

"Right, the whole pulling a rabbit out of a hat thing isn't working for you, right?"

"My dad said it just takes practice, and I do practice, but I can't do even the easiest tricks like he can. Arthur can do the easy tricks and he's almost nine."

"So he's got the magic hand and you don't, big deal. I'm sure my dad would love it if I'd become a chiropractor but I can't stand learning about that kind of thing. The sound of joints popping gives me chills. The bad kind."

Leo grinned, cracking his knuckles. "Like that?"

Josh stared at him with a completely serious expression. "Dude, I will punch you."

The dark skinned teen held his hands up in surrender and dipped his cookie into his glass of milk. "So how's Alex?"

Josh shrugged. "How should I know?"

"You see him like, every day."

Josh sighed. "Fine, I saw him before I came over here. But he didn't stay over long."

"That's fine, don't worry about it. I was just wondering how he was." He grinned lopsidedly.

"He's fine, I guess." Josh mumbled popping the last of his cookie into his mouth and downing the rest of his milk. "I've need to head out; I'm helping out with dinner tonight."

"Alright, see you tomorrow." Leo saluted as Josh showed himself out.

"Later, mate," Josh smirked.

* * *

><p><strong>Review?<strong>

**If you've got an instagram, follow my new account _pageslearntothink_, DM who you are here on FF and I'll follow back if I recognize your name! ;)**

**"The hood you wear, my messy hair, our clothes that are torn, but we don't care. Concrete is freezing, our coffee gone old, yet, the look that you're giving me is anything but old." -Air Kiss Salute and Aim, Juliet Simms**

**-Rachel**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hey!**

**VOTE FOR BVB ON THE LINK ON MY PROFILE PLEASE!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Leo took a deep breath, looking out the window of the car. "So, make sure you pick me up at five."<p>

"I will, good luck." Amber smiled brightly.

"Do you think I'll be okay?" he asked quickly.

"You'll be brilliant." She assured him.

"Yeah, I'll be okay." He swallowed thickly and smiled at his mother. "Love you, mum."

"I love you too, baby." She cooed, kissing his cheek.

He hopped out of the car and she drove off as he nervously headed for the door.

"Hey, Leo!"

Leo turned around when Fiona skipped up to him. "Hi, Fiona, how are you?"

"I'm good. Are you starting your karate thing?" she asked, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear.

"It's Tae Kwon Do, so it's a little different." He replied with a nod.

"Does it have like, competitions and stuff?"

Leo scratched the back of his neck. "Yeah, if I could get that far."

"You'll be amazing!" she gushed, squeezing his arm. "You better get going; you don't want to be late."

"Oh, yeah," he chuckled, "I'll see you later, Fiona."

"Bye bye," she waved.

Leo watched her walk away with a grin and pushed the door open with newfound confidence.

* * *

><p>"Mom?" Alex called, walking through the front door of his house, Josh trailing behind him silently. He slipped his boots off and motioned for Josh to do the same.<p>

"In the kitchen," the American woman hollered.

Alex stopped next to a table beside a sofa in the living room, picking up the pile of mail, even though he knew none of it was for him, and sifted through it.

"Get your nose out of my mail, Alexander." She scolded, her voice giving way her distraction.

He rolled his dark brown eyes and dropped it onto the table as if she was holding a gun to his head. He crooked two fingers at Josh, leading him to the small kitchen that was connected to the living room. "Mom, this is Josh Clarke; a friend from school."

"You made a friend?" she nearly shrieked in delight, whipping around quickly, and her long red pony tail whipped around behind her. "Hi, I'm Lily, it's so nice to meet you Josh!"

"You too, Lily." He smiled, shaking her hand.

She turned back to the stovetop and reached into a bucket, pulling out a cup of flour. "Why didn't you tell me about him?" she hissed at her son, flicking flour at him.

He jumped away from her and attempted to brush the white powder off his black shirt. "I didn't want to scare him away by having him meet my mom so early in our relationship." He joked and then frowned, looking down at his shirt again. "Do I have any clean shirts?"

"Oh, that reminds me, have you finished the laundry yet?" she asked sweetly.

"Damn it," he huffed, pulling on Josh's sleeve. "Come on, let's go up to my room."

Josh arched an eyebrow after Alex and then turned to his mother, smiling nicely, before following him.

"Keep the door open!"

Alex laughed obnoxiously in response.

"Be safe!"

"Mom!" he groaned and Josh snickered, watching Alex angrily close and locked his door defiantly. "Shut up, Joshua."

"Your mum's awesome." He shrugged.

"I know," Alex grinned, gripping his shirt between his shoulder blades and pulling it over his head. He chucked it into the laundry basket in the corner and slid his closet door open. "So make yourself comfortable. What's mine is yours." He pushed a couple shirts out of the way and pulled a sweatshirt over his head, smoothing the _Darth Vader_ print over his chest, and tugging the sleeves up his forearms.

Josh sat on the edge of Alex's bed, shrugging off his jacket, and looking around the room. "Are these bands?" he asked.

Alex dragged a hand through his hair and nodded, a lopsided grin making its way onto his face. "Yeah, you know any of them?"

Josh shrugged. "Um, _Fall Out Boy_ sounds familiar, but everyone knows them right? And _Nirvana, KISS, Metallica,_ those are bands my sister, Alice, listens to I think. I don't know; I don't really listen to music."

Alex blinked, and blinked again, and again, before he rushed over to him, grabbing his shoulders and kneeling on the floor. "You don't listen to music?"

Josh chuckled. "Unless it's in a video game, or we're in the car and my dad turns on the radio, or someone's listening to something when they're doing chores around the house, I don't _choose_ to listen to it."

"You don't like music?"

"No, music is fine, I just…don't really understand why people get so attached to it." He explained.

Alex sighed, standing up and releasing the blond's thin shoulders, mumbling under his breath in Spanish.

"Is that going to be a problem?"

"No, I guess that makes sense," he mumbled, opening the laptop that sat on the desk across from the bed. "I've never met someone that doesn't turn on music to listen to music, that's all."

Josh stood up and walked over to him, sliding his hands into his pockets. "You sure?"

Alex took a deep breath and leaned back in the chair that didn't match the desk. "Yeah, I'm fine with it."

"Good."

He clicked the enter button and turned the volume down a little bit. "But I need my background noise."

"That's cool." He looked down at the screen.

"Don't judge my laptop." Alex spoke and Josh laughed.

"I'm not, I was just wondering who you were listening to. Who's Juliet Simms?"

Alex's sighed heavily, spreading his arms wide and closing his eyes, letting his head fall backwards. "Juliet Simms is my queen, Joshy."

"Really?"

He hummed positively in response. "She is gorgeous, and intelligent, and talented, and down-to-earth, and just over-all perfect. Right now, she's handling a solo project, but she has a band that's on hiatus called _Automatic Loveletter_. I found the band about…seven years ago? She and her music has helped me through a lot of shit."

Josh nodded, sitting back down on the bed.

"You know what I'm going to do? I am going to play only Juliet Simms whenever I'm around you, so that one day, you'll know every single lyric of hers by heart without even realizing it."

"Good luck with that, mate." Josh smirked.

Alex spun around in the chair to face him. "So I almost ran into your friend Fiona in the park yesterday—"

"She's not my friend." He denied quickly and Alex arched an eyebrow, but continued without question.

"And she was talking on the phone with someone; she said that she thinks I like your sister." As if he couldn't believe the sentence, he leaned over his knees, hugging his stomach as his laughter came out in heavy wheezes.

"Do you?"

"No!" he exclaimed, which caused his laugh to become deeper as he leaned back in the chair. He calmed his guffaws with several long breaths.

"Not your type?"

"So not," he said with a shake of his head.

Josh grinned, sweeping a hand through his hair sideways. "You're lucky; she won't break your neck."

"Hmm-mm," he droned slowly.

"Boys, do you want a snack?" Lily called from the first floor.

Alex raised his eyebrows, pointing to the door.

"Sure," Josh shrugged.

The two got up and jogged down the stairs to the kitchen where Lily was pulling cookies out of the oven.

"We get cookies?" Alex grinned and Lily laughed, putting a hand on his chest to stop him from taking one.

"Nope, these are not for you; they're an experimental batch." She smack his hand when he reached for a particularly large one. "Alexander Sebastian."

He pulled his hand back and glared at her, sitting at the table for two across from the oven. "What can we have as a snack then?"

"What about something healthy?" When he dropped his head forward and let out a groan, she rolled her blue eyes. "You're trying out for the swim team; you need to eat healthier."

"So you are trying out." Josh acknowledged, sitting across from him at the table.

"Yeah, I decided I would give it a shot – and by give it a shot, I mean prevent any other participants from being better than me." He said with determination.

"Don't be cocky, it'll be the death of you." She kissed his temple, pulling on a jacket. "I've got to go to the store real quick; don't eat the cookies or you'll be grounded. Love you."

He grumbled something in Spanish as she left with a quick goodbye to Josh. Once the front door shut, he fell silent and leaned forward on the table, resting his elbows on the top. When Josh was about to speak, he reached out and covered his mouth with his hand. "Licking my hand's not going to make me take it off." He murmured.

His mother's car pulled out of the driveway and turned down the street, and he took his hand off Josh's mouth, shooting out of his seat.

"What was that about?" Josh demanded.

Alex reached into a cabinet above the refrigerator easily, pulling out a box. "I've got a stash of chocolate she can't know about. Seriously though, I've been licked in a lot of places, so licking my hand is not going to freak me out. You're cute. Do you like chocolate?"

"My weaknesses: chocolate, Gracie, and _Friends_." He shrugged, taking a piece of dark chocolate from him.

Alex chuckled. "My kind of guy."

Josh's eyes momentarily flitted to Alex's wrist, which didn't go unnoticed, and caused him to sigh. Josh raised one of his hands in submission. "Just making sure things with you are okay."

He was silent for a moment before nodding in understanding. "I'm going to give you permission to look at my wrists whenever the hell you want, just to make sure I'm doing alright, but on one condition: don't bring it up in front of your friends. I don't want them to know."

Josh swallowed, reaching for another piece of chocolate. "No problem at all."

* * *

><p><strong>Thank you for the reviews, guys! Seriously, they make my day! I read them just to make myself feel better on bad days. xxx<strong>

**Juliet's filming a music video for the "All or Nothing" EP (which is going to be released to pledgers in 10 DAYS!) with Andy and I am so freaking excited! Like, if they do "Not Broken Yet" I will probably just bawl because that song is absolutely beautiful!**

**"And there's something about you, and there's something that you see. We both lay, here broken, 'cause we both know this can't be. And it cuts like a gun, the poison in battle, sinking straight to the blood (so put your hands up this is love, love get 'em up!). And it awakens yours dreams and kills all the demons, that you thought wouldn't leave (so put your hands up this is love, love get 'em up!). 'Cause this is love to die from and to die for..." -To Die For, Automatic Loveletter**

**Okay, that song, right there, describes a certain couple that'll be showing up in the very _very very VERY_ near future! You know that list of songs from Into the Future? Yeah, the couple that list is for is the couple that's going to show up and I think I'm going to cry because I just love that couple SO MUCH. **

**-Rachel**


	13. Chapter 13

**Hey! Keep voting for BVB if you can! **

**And Juliet's working on a beautiful music video for "End Of The World" with Andy featuring in it and I am so so so sooooooo excited, you don't even know!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>"No, I'm not playing." Alex refused, shaking his head, crisscrossing his legs on Josh's bed.<p>

Josh groaned, dropping his head back on the bed, sitting in his beanbag chair. "Come on, why not?"

"I don't like video games. I'll never play video games." He waved his hand dismissively and looked away from the blond when the bedroom door opened.

Leo walked in and smiled at them. "Hey, Josh, Alex."

"Hey – oh my, god, you brought Snowball with you!" he noticed, jumping off the bed so he could scoop the kitten up into his arms.

"Actually, he was just waiting outside the door." The dark-skinned teen said, jerking a thumb back at the door.

"Were you waiting for me? I'm sorry, I didn't know you were there." He cooed, kissing Ozzy's nose.

"Alex, can I speak to Josh alone for a second?" Leo asked politely.

"Sure, I'll wait out in the hall." Alex nodded, walking out of the room, murmuring Spanish into the feline's fur, and closing the door behind him.

"What's up, mate?" Josh raised his eyebrows expectantly. "How'd your first lesson go?"

"Good, really good; I actually really like it. I didn't think I'd have so much fun." He replied and sighed, blurting out, "I still like Fiona."

Josh blinked and shrugged.

"You said that I shouldn't." Leo reminded him.

Josh chuckled. "No, dude, I said that you shouldn't swear you're going to marry her when you're so young."

"So you're not upset that I like her? I know you dislike her."

"No," he said sincerely, with a shake of his head, "I mean, would you get mad at me for liking someone if you didn't like the person?"

"No," he echoed.

"Exactly. Like whoever you want to like. It doesn't matter to me; it should only matter to you. You don't choose who you fall in love with."

"You're really smart for a guy that's never been in a relationship before." Leo said, squinting his brown eyes suspiciously.

"I just don't like it when people judge other people for liking someone."

Leo nodded. "I'm going to ask her out."

"I hope for the best for you, mate." Josh said with a smile.

* * *

><p>"Do you know what you're going to do next?" Alice asked Michael, sitting next to him on the living room sofa.<p>

Her brother sighed, marking the page in his book he stopped at, and turned his attention to her. "I don't know. Have any suggestions?"

"Well, you could wait it out, but she might never get back to you, so that's why you need to contact her." She explained, flicking her blonde curls over her shoulder. "Okay, you could take her out on a date. You could do something that reminds her of your relationship before all this happened. You could take her to the prom that's coming up – oh, that's a good idea! Why don't you show up at her door in a tux and ask her to the prom?"

"And if she says no?" he challenged.

Alice sighed. "Then you try with something else; it's just a suggestion."

"Okay, assuming she says yes, don't you think it'd be awkward? Taking my ex-girlfriend to the prom after I cheated on her and we're not on good terms. Yep, that's a great idea."

"But what if you guys just slip right back into being comfortable around each other."

"It's not that simple, Al."

"Why can't it be? You won't let it be simple. You think about things too much."

"I think about things too much?" he scoffed.

Alice huffed, waving her hands in front of her. "We're getting sidetracked."

Michael ran his fingers through his hair. "Alright…I'll…ask her to prom."

"Really?" she smiled excitedly.

"Yeah. Even if she'll probably slam her door in my face."

* * *

><p>"<em>...Right now is all that matters. Kiss me, kill me, tell me all your secrets. Whisper to me, I promise that I'll keep it, and they'll burn with me," <em>Alex sang along with Juliet Simms as the song played from Josh's laptop across the room, "_One last time. Oh, we leave our ashes, embers in the fire, burn with me. The smoke will rise, let the blaze burn higher, walk into the fire, and burn with me."_

"I hate to say it, but you can't sing." Josh stated.

Alex grinned and shrugged. "I know. I've got my mom's pipes. But that doesn't mean I'll stop."

"Play _Call of Duty_ with me." Josh invited.

"Nope," Alex laughed with a shake of his head.

"Why not?"

"I'm going to read something from _Where the Sidewalk Ends_ instead." He decided, laying down on Josh's bed and opening the worn copy of the poetry book. "Let's see…what about…_No Difference: Small as a peanut, big as a giant, we're all the same size, when we turn off the light."_

Josh chuckled, directing his player to climb onto a crate.

"_Rich as a sultan, poor as a mite, we're all worth the same, when we turn off the light. Red, black or orange, yellow or white, we all look the same, when we turn off the light." _Alex continued. "_So maybe the way to make everything right, is for God to just reach out and turn off the light!"_

"That's a good one," Josh nodded.

"That's a good one," Alex agreed with a smile. "Here's another one, one of my favorites, _Me and My Giant: I have a friend who is a giant—"_

"Alexy!" Gracie cheered, rushing into the room.

"Hey, Gracie, what's up?" he grinned, looking up from the book.

"Can we play Candy Land? I was going to play with mummy but there was an emergency at the hospital, so she can't play right now. Will you and Joshy play with me?"

"Well, will we, Joshy?" Alex questioned, nudging him.

"Yeah, we'll play with you, Gracie."

Gracie squeaked happily and ran off to get the box.

* * *

><p><strong>Thank you for the reviews! xx<strong>

**Song Alex singing is "Burn With Me" by Juliet Simms. So all the cred to my Momma Snake! ;)**

**And the poems, cred to Shel Silverstein. :)**

**_"Sometimes when I think of your name, and it's only a game, and I need you. Listening to the words that you say, getting harder to stay, when I see you. All I needed was the love you gave, all I needed for another day. All I never knew, only you…" -Only You, The Flying Pickets_**

**-Rachel**


	14. Chapter 14

**Hey! So I want to dedicate this chapter to Bianca (bs13), Emily (TooBusyBeingAnAwkoTaco) and YackerandWeasel for picking up on something that I've been planning since the beginning of A Second Chance. :D Like seriously, I'm squealing right now, I'm so excited!**

**But, B...I LOVE YOU SO MUCH. You picked up on it first and you fangirl so much and I'm so excited 'cause you just think so much like me. When you first reviewed about it, I was so tempted to reply and tell you how amazing and right you are! But I had to wait. But now it's here and I can just relish in your fangirling because I know you are going to fangirl. So. Freaking. Hard.**

**Just like I do every time you review. :P**

**Anyway, enjoy!**

* * *

><p>"Babe," Nina Campbell said slowly, walking up behind her husband, where he sat in an armchair in the common room. "Can you do something for me?"<p>

Mick tilted his head back, looking up at her. "Depends."

"On what?" she asked, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing his cheek.

"If I can do it." He smirked.

"Aw, you'd do anything for me." She said teasingly.

"So what do you need?"

"I need you to bake a pie." She replied, stepping around the chair and sitting on his lap.

"A pie."

"A pie. That'll be my birthday cake this year."

Mick nodded, running a hand through his blond hair before resting his hand back on her thigh. "Any preference on the filling?"

"Apples."

"Ah, apple pie, how American."

"What do you expect?" Nina laughed. "Seriously, can you do that for me?"

"That I can do." He said, guiding her face to his, and kissing her deeply.

"Whoa, hello!" Sarah exclaimed, stopping short with Jackson behind her.

"Guys, there have been enough babies being born lately, chill." Her brother groaned.

"Shut up, I haven't kissed her all morning; I feel deprived." Mick scoffed back at him.

"Well, then get a room." Jackson shrugged, falling back on the sofa and clicking the TV on.

"Sometimes we eat in here, you know." Sarah pointed out, sitting beside him.

"Prudes." Nina whispered playfully.

Jackson's head snapped around to look at her and he laughed. "Whatever, mom."

* * *

><p>"No, no, I like that song!" Danni protested when Justin skipped the radio station.<p>

"Everyone likes that song; let's find something worth listening to." Her brother retorted, pushing the backseat control seek button again.

Eddie sighed. "Can't you just pick a station?"

"No. All of the songs playing suck."

"The one you just skipped didn't."

"I don't want to fill Cody's head with crap just yet."

"Crap?" Danni shrieked.

"Danni," Patricia hissed warningly, and Cody let out a wail as he awoke from his nap.

"Sorry," she murmured guiltily.

"Good job, Dan." Justin huffed.

"Well if you hadn't insulted one of my favorite songs—" she snapped.

"I thought you didn't like Ariana Grande."

"I can't stand her, but I like her music."

"Her music sucks!" Justin laughed.

Eddie stepped on the brakes and the car stopped abruptly. "Get out of the car."

"What?" the siblings demanded simultaneously.

"Get out and walk."

"But it's freezing!" Justin argued.

"We're only five minutes from the house. Get out now before I make you carry your bags, too."

"But, dad," Danni began.

"Get out of the car, Small Fry." Eddie ground out in exasperation as Cody's screams got louder in reaction to the fighting.

Justin and Danni reluctantly climbed out of the car and Danni stuck her tongue out at him as she shut the door. "This is all your fault."

Eddie rolled his green eyes, driving on and leaving the two behind on the sidewalk. Patricia climbed into the backseat and pushed the sunshade up on Cody's car seat and leaned forward, kissing his forehead.

"Baby, it's okay." She murmured. He ceased his crying, his reddened face relaxing at the sight of his mother.

Eddie parked the car in their driveway, popped the trunk, and opened the back door, unbuckling Cody's car seat. He leaned over the seat and kissed Patricia quickly before she slid out, pulling Cody's seat with her. She carefully carried his seat to the front door after Eddie tossed her the keys to the house and unlocked the front door. Eddie followed her inside, setting their suitcases down in the foyer.

"You know, Danni and Justin probably won't even come home now." Patricia pointed out.

"That's alright." Eddie shrugged. "We've got some alone time, then."

"I don't know if you know this, Slimeball, but there's a baby here."

"Yeah, but, Yacker, he's not going to yell at us if we kiss." He replied, gripping her waist and leaning down to kiss her again.

Cody howled again and the couple broke apart, Eddie groaning in annoyance and Patricia laughing.

"Fine, then, dude." He huffed, turning back to the baby.

"He needs to be fed, and probably changed, Weasel Face." Patricia told him, lifting him out of the car seat and holding him to her chest. She arched an eyebrow at her husband and laughed lightly, hitting his shoulder. "Don't pout, you big baby."

"I'm not pouting," he denied, stalking off.

* * *

><p>"Hey, where are you off to?" Mara smiled, looking up from her book.<p>

Josh ran a hand through his hair, stopping in the living room doorway to lean a shoulder against the doorjamb. "I'm meeting Alex at the park."

"Okay, have fun – don't be late for supper."

"Yes, ma'am," he chuckled, leaving the house. He slipped his hands into the front pockets of his pants as he strolled down the sidewalk toward the park. As he neared the swings, he spotted Alex sitting at the top of one of the slides. He climbed the steps to the top and sat beside him at the other slide. "Hey."

"Hey," Alex mumbled.

"Did you suddenly decide you don't want to hang out with me?" Josh asked with a small smirk.

"I just don't feel like talking right now. Sorry. I made you come for no reason."

Josh blinked. "Are you okay?"

Alex nodded. "I'm fine."

Josh searched his face, and then he did a double-take, his blue eyes landing on Alex's wrist. "You're bleeding." He said, reaching for his arm.

"I'm fine, Josh." Alex ground out.

"Alex, why did you cut again?" he demanded, squeezing his shoulder.

Alex's tired brown eyes avoided Josh's stare. "…my mom was diagnosed with cancer today."

Josh sucked in a deep breath and wrapped his arm around the brunet's thin shoulders.

"And we can't afford the surgery. I can use my college money for the first half of the payment, but I don't know if I'd be able to make enough money for the second half. And you know how she is; she wouldn't let me use my money. But wouldn't you do that for Mara?" Alex ducked his head, tightening his grip on his wrist. "Her cancer was caused by secondhand smoking. I'm killing my own mother. I hate myself."

"Alex, stop hurting yourself." Josh ordered, prying his fingers off his arm. He pulled the black sweatshirt sleeve away from his cuts. "Oh, god…"

"It makes me feel better." Alex whispered. "She doesn't deserve this. My mom is the best ever. He left and she stuck around. He took all of our money with him, but she stayed and made sure food was on the table, even when she didn't have something to eat. She's done everything for me, and when something happens to her, I can't do anything for her. I feel so helpless."

Josh examined the cuts. "You didn't cut too deep, right?"

"No," Alex said hoarsely, a tear slipping down his cheek.

"Alex—"

"She's all I have. If she's gone, who the hell will I have? No one."

"Thanks for thinking of me." Josh scoffed jokingly.

But Alex didn't smile. He looked at Josh and licked his lips. "Right, there's you."

"You've got me." Josh confirmed.

Alex felt his stomach churn in the most nervous way when he jerked his hand out of Josh's and grabbed the blond's face, pulling his lips onto his. And then he pulled back almost instantly, his eyes clouding over with more tears. He looked down at Josh's shirt, avoiding his gaze as Josh stared at him in shock. His voice cracked, "Fuck, oh, fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck, I did it again. Fuck, I got blood on your shirt – I'm sorry – I-I've gotta go." He said hurriedly and slid down the slide. His old Converse landed on the playground padding and then he took off toward his house.

"Alex, wait," Josh called, suddenly snapping out of his shocked state.

But he was nowhere to be seen.

* * *

><p><strong>So yeah...<strong>

**I kind of just sank a ship... :/**

**"Ha! I don't give a fuck, bro (I don't give a fuck, bro), and I don't call it luck though. I'm a fucking cutthroat. Bitch, I got that recipe, mix it into a masterpiece, I'm rapping in a rapless scene. I stand up on top of that balcony and all I see surrounding me is tragedy. I spread my wings and vow to be the man to beat. My chemistry and symmetry, is made of gold like alchemy. I vow to think so proud to be, is anybody gonna say they doubted me? Burn, motherfucker, burn. Watch how fast I can take this turn in a car I never thought I'd have, man, I can honestly say I've earned…" -Never the Same, Ronnie Radke**

**That was long. xD**

**-Rachel**


	15. Chapter 15

**Hey!**

**Yeah, so the last chapter caused two kinds of reactions. The first being *FALLS OFF CHAIR SCREAMING BECAUSE ALEX AND JOSH ARE LIFe* and the second being, "Wow, I didn't see that coming." **

**So...sorry to the second party, and the first party: Yo, guys, I'm with y'all on this! **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Alice tapped Jenna on the shoulder, stepping around her. Jenna turned, finding no one behind her and then looked back at her locker, finding Alice next to her. She rolled her brown eyes.<p>

"Hiya, Clarke." She saluted.

"My dad's going to take me to buy paint this afternoon and I'll begin painting this weekend. Can you help me?" Alice asked sweetly.

"Oh, gosh, I'd love to! But I've got to cram for a huge French exam. You don't have French, so you're safe." Jenna huffed, reaching out and grabbing Justin by the arm when he was walking toward them. "But guess who has two thumbs and _is _free this weekend? This guy!"

Justin looked down at his best friend nervously. "What are you talking about?"

"Alice needs help painting her bedroom and I'm not available, so I'm volunteering you!"

"Uh, no."

Alice sighed when Jenna shot her a look and spun around as Justin was walking away. "You don't like pies, huh?"

The blond stopped, backed up, and turned to her, a calculating expression on his face. "What flavor?"

"What kind of flavor do you like?"

"Pumpkin."

"I'll bake you one if you help me paint my room." She offered with an innocent smile, tilting her head to the side.

Justin took a deep breath. "When?"

"Saturday? Come over at ten."

"Okay," he relented and then continued down the hallway before she could say another word.

Jenna smirked at Alice. "Maybe you can show him how it's done this weekend, then."

"I knew that was what you were doing." Alice laughed with a roll of her eyes.

* * *

><p>Fiona brushed a strand of her brown hair behind her ear and closed her locker, smiling brightly when she saw Leo politely making his way through the crowded hallway to her. "Hi, Leo," she giggled when he finally stood in front of her.<p>

"Hey," he grinned, the tips of his ears burning a little in embarrassment. "How are you?"

"I'm good, how are you?"

"Great." He shrugged.

"So tell me," she said, about to begin walking toward the exit, but Leo held an arm out to her. She smiled in adoration and took his arm, stepping in time with him to the doors at the end of the hallway. "How was your Tae Kwon Do class?"

"It was fun." He replied, holding the door open for her and blinking at the glare of the sun when they stepped out into the yard.

"You can be my knight in shining armor if I need one?" she inquired, looking up at him with sparkling, brown eyes.

"Absolutely," he promised. "Actually, I wanted to ask you something—"

"FiFi!" Danni snapped, running up to her and squeezing her best friend's sides.

Fiona shrieked in response and spun around to the brunette. "Bae, I've missed you!"

"Ew, don't call me bae." Danni snorted, hugging her tightly.

Leo's gaze dropped to his shoes but looked up again when Danni acknowledged him.

"I didn't interrupt anything, did I?" she wondered, guilt washing over her features.

"Oh, right, Leo, what did you want to ask me?" Fiona asked curiously.

"Nothing – it can wait. I know you've missed Danni. Go ahead and hang out with her."

Fiona smiled gratefully and kissed his cheek. "You're so sweet. We'll talk later, I promise."

* * *

><p>"Josh, I'm so glad to see you," Lily gushed, welcoming him into the house. "Alex came home yesterday, in tears, mumbling about something that happened between the two of you. He won't talk to me and he refused to go to school today. I hope it's nothing too serious; you're the best friend he's ever had, you know."<p>

"It'll all work out, Lily, don't worry." Josh smiled. "Can I see Alex?"

"He's up in his room. He's really upset." She explained, ringing her hands.

"I'll take care of it, Lily. He's okay." With that said, Josh jogged up the steep staircase to the second floor, and pushed the first door on the left open. Alex was standing at the window across from his bed, speaking lowly in incoherent mixtures of English and Spanish. When he heard the door click shut, his murmuring ceased.

"Mom, I told you, I don't want to talk about it." Alex hissed. "Do you know what I've done?"

"Well, rumor has it: you kissed your friend in the park yesterday." Josh smirked, leaning back on the closed door.

"Just leave, would you, Josh?" Any pain he was trying to hide was caught in his voice.

"Not until you look at me and we talk about this." Josh said simply with a shrug, pushing off the door.

"Did it ever occur to you that I might not want to talk about this?"

"Did it ever occur to you that I might not want to ignore it?" Josh asked, walking toward him. "Did it ever occur to you that I don't want to lose a friend over something as stupid as kissing? Did it ever occur to you that we could talk about this and work it out?"

"Everything's going to change, even if we work it out." Alex ground out.

"No," Josh shook his head, grabbing Alex's shoulder and pulling him around to look at him. "Nothing's changed, except, now, we're dating."

Alex blinked. He opened his mouth to reply, but then he closed it.

Josh rolled his eyes and gripped his shoulders, pushing him back into the wall behind him and pressing his lips to his. Alex responded instantly, lifting his hands to Josh's neck, cupping his neck and tilting his head to deepen the kiss. Josh's hands tightened on his shoulders and slid them down to the brunet's lower back while Alex's hands slipped into his hair.

Josh pulled back, breathing heavily, and looked up at Alex with hooded blue eyes.

Alex grinned. "So you, me, a pizza and a movie? I like to cuddle."

"Who's paying for the pizza?" Josh joked, and Alex kissed him again.

"Alex, Josh, is everything okay? I can make you a snack. I hope you've worked everything out." Lily called from the first floor.

Alex rolled his brown eyes. "She won't be here when we have our date, I swear."

Josh chuckled, about to head back to the door, but Alex pulled him back and kissed him again.

"I'm gonna have a lot of fun with this." He whispered.

* * *

><p><strong>Okay, story time!<strong>

**When I started A Second Chance, I kept asking myself who Josh should end up with. I would just stare into space thinking...Fiona (NO)? Danni? (...no) Sarah? (no) Wait...no... Wait! ...no...**

**And then one night, I was watching Skyfall (James Bond) with my dad, mom and brother, and then the 007 meets Silva scene came on and my dad was just like "ugh" and my mom was all uncomfortable and my brother was like "I can be on the computer and watch a movie at the same time!" and I was just like "OH MY GOSH" in my head. I was just fangirling inside because I suddenly realized that Josh was not even straight. *0* **

**So then, I decided to design this guy for Josh. At first, he was British (Peter Connery (you know that guy from the first story that beat him up). Then he was an American named Logan. And then I was reading this 00Silva fanfic and decided on a dude that speaks Spanish and then it just snowballed from there! **

**That's how Alex was thought up! **

**Now, I've never written gay couples before (okay, I did once, but it didn't work out. I didn't like it), but I'm hoping I do well this! Let me know if you think something is weird and you think I should rewrite something or whatever. Just...bear with me, I'm doing my best! :3**

**"Here I go! Another prison flight, another perfect sky I damaged. Now I know just who created life and why I set my sights to save it. The world's a gun and I've been aiming all my life!" -I Am Bulletproof, Black Veil Brides**

**-Rachel**


	16. Chapter 16

**Hey! **

**Thanks for all of the reviews, guys! You're all so sweet! Xxx**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>"Mum," Matty began, running into the dining room. "C-can I throw some eg-ggs against a t-tree outside?"<p>

Mara blinked and looked away from her papers. "You want to throw eggs against a tree?"

He nodded. "I w-won't throw them at the h-house…mum, b-behind you." He pointed.

Mara turned and shrieked, placing a hand on her chest as her heart began beating rapidly. "Louisa!"

She laughed, hanging her head and then sobered immediately when Jerome walked into the room.

"What have I said?" he demanded.

"Not to do it to you." She replied.

"That includes your mother."

Louisa sighed.

"J," Mara said to her husband as he picked an apple from the bowl of fruit on the table. "Your son wants to throw eggs against a tree outside."

Jerome looked down at Matty and arched a dark eyebrow. "This one? Jeez, kiddo, why would you want to do a thing like that? All those little eggs want to be is breakfast."

"D-dad, they won't c-care if I throw them against a t-tree. They d-don't have f-feelings."

"What are you talking about, of course they do." He scoffed and then shrugged. "Fine, go throw some eggs against a tree. No more than a dozen."

"Thanks, dad!" he cheered, hurrying into the kitchen.

Louisa giggled. "Why would he want to do that?"

"You did the same thing when you were his age." Jerome told her.

She shook her head disbelievingly. "Can I have Danni, Fiona and Sarah over tonight?"

"A little sudden, don't you think?" Mara spoke, stacking her papers neatly before sliding them into a folder and setting them to the side.

"Well, Danni just got back in town." Louisa explained.

Jerome sighed and then shrugged again. "Sure."

"Thanks, daddy! Thanks, mum." She kissed both their cheeks before skipping off to call her friends, leaving Mara and Jerome sitting at the dining room table.

"So how are you feeling?" Jerome asked his wife with a loving smile.

"I'm tired."

"Didn't Gracie come in the room last night?"

"Yes. She had a nightmare about a doll that looked like Elsa from _Frozen_, crawling out from under our bed and killing the whole family."

"Jesus, she's got a vivid imagination." he whistled.

She gently slapped his arm in response to the swear but agreed anyway.

"Maybe we should stop letting her watch it."

"She said that it was caused by an Elsa doll that Lynn owns; she brought it to school and played with it on the playground during recess the other day." Mara explained.

"Well, let's see if it was just a one-time thing then." He murmured, swiping a hand through his hair. "But she's been having a lot of weird nightmares lately."

"I think she's just at that age where she's becoming more imaginative." She said with a small sigh and stood up, pecking Jerome's lips. "Help me with supper?"

"Anything for you, my love."

* * *

><p>When Alex opened the front door before Josh could knock, Josh arched an eyebrow and Alex grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, pulling him into the house. He wrapped his arms around his neck and kissed him deeply, playing with the hair at the nape of Josh's neck.<p>

"Hello to you too," Josh laughed when Alex decided to pull away.

"I just got a little excited." He grinned, unapologetic. He whipped around and slid into the kitchen, popping a box of pizza open. Josh followed him and leaned against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I got half pepperoni and half sausage because you don't like pepperoni and I don't like sausage." Alex winked, opening the refrigerator to dig around for drinks. "What do you want to drink? Water, milk, soda, juice – wait, no milk…"

"Tristan was more than a friend to you, wasn't he?" Josh asked.

Alex let out a long sigh, taking his head out of the refrigerator and turning back to him, closing the door a little too roughly behind him. "I don't want to talk about this."

"Well, too bad. We're going to. That's why when you kissed me, you said 'I did it again'." Josh pointed out. When Alex didn't reply and just backed into the counter top, he stepped up in front of him. "You know, when you told me about Tristan, I wanted to kiss you. So bad."

Alex smirked mischievously, but it didn't reach his eyes. "You should've. I wouldn't have stopped you."

"I know. Just you told me not to look at you, or talk to you."

"You don't have to talk or see to kiss."

"I'm looking at you now and I'm asking you if he was more than a friend to you."

Alex swallowed. "Yeah."

"So what happened between you and me, happened between you and Tristan—?"

"No." Alex interrupted forcefully. "It wasn't the same. Differences being, Tristan never let me kiss him; he didn't return my feelings; he didn't want a relationship with me – all he wanted was a little naïve fag to suck his dick a couple times before he walked out. I was thirteen. I thought I was in love with the guy. I wasn't. And the moment he first called me a fag in front of the whole school, I realized I had lost my best friend the minute I told him I was gay. What happened between you and me was not what happened between me and Tristan. You're different."

Josh stood between Alex's legs and placed his hands on the taller teen's sides. "A million things went through my head when you told me about that. The most important one was that _he was not worth it_."

"I thought he was at the time." Alex replied and then grinned, tempted to lighten the mood, "Don't be jealous."

Josh smiled. "I'm not. He missed his chance; you're with me now."

Alex bit his bottom lip and lowered his head to kiss Josh gently. When he pulled back, he didn't open his eyes but smirked. "What were we doing again?"

"We were going to eat pizza and watch a movie." Josh reminded.

"Oh, right, and cuddle. I like to cuddle."

"Right, right," Josh nodded, grabbing the pizza box and sitting on the floral print sofa in the living room. "What are we watching?"

"Feel like some James Bond?" Alex suggested, taking a quick bite of pizza before moving to put the movie in.

"Always," the blond agreed.

Alex jumped up and played the movie, laying out on the couch, leaning against Josh's side and pulling his arm over his shoulder.

Josh huffed and stood up.

"Hey!"

Josh ignored him and sat on the other end of the sofa, stretching his legs out, and motioning for Alex to sit in between them. When he did slowly, studying Josh curiously, Josh laid his left hand on his boyfriend's chest, and shrugged slightly. "I eat with my right hand and you were making it uncomfortable for me to do that." He explained.

Alex sighed contently. "Sorry, Joshua."

* * *

><p><strong>Ah, JoshAlex moments... I can't get enough of them. Dude, seriously though, I write fanfictions for my own stories- I'm that weird. xP**

**Also, the next few chapters, the ending song, will be a song that describes Josh and Alex because I feel like it. ;)**

**I first heard this song a few days after I developed the second to last version of Alex in a fan video for Newkirk/Hogan from Hogan's Heroes. :)**

**#1: "All I needed was the love you gave, all I needed for another day. All I ever knew, only you. Sometimes when I think of your name and it's only a game, and I need you. Listening to the words that you say, getting harder to stay, when I see you." -Only You, The Flying Pickets **

**-Rachel**


	17. Chapter 17

**Great news: I'll be updating _A Love Like War_ soon! Keep an eye out for that! **

**I want to start finishing up some stories. So the stories I'll be working on are _A Love Like War, House of Couples, Lewis and Clarke: The Silent Scream_ (even though no one reads that one),_ Like a Knife and The Touchstone of Ra! _**

**I'll also be working on samples for _Into the Future!_ **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>"Fabes, Samantha doesn't care about constellations." Joy sighed, planting her fists on her hips when she walked into the baby's room with a basket of folded laundry.<p>

Her husband looked up at her with a smile. "Of course she does. She loves the glow-in-the-dark stars on the ceiling, so why can't she like learning about stars?"

Samantha took her fingers out of her mouth and touched the page of the book Fabian was reading from, her body leaning a little.

"Oh, sweetie," he mumbled, wiping the page with a cloth after he righted her.

Joy smiled and rolled her brown eyes, leaning down to kiss Fabian quickly. "Fine, she likes looking at the pictures. But don't you think she'd prefer to listen to you read a children's book?"

"This is a children's book." He replied. "I got it for Lynn."

Joy shook her head and raised her hands to her shoulders in surrender. "Okay."

Fabian continued to read from the book of constellations to Samantha as Joy put away laundry in the dresser next to the door, leaving with the basket to continue the chore. She stopped in the hallway when Samantha coughed and Fabian groaned.

"Joy," he called weakly and Joy laughed silently, walking back into the room. He looked up at her. "She spit up on my book."

"I'm sorry, honey," she cooed, kissing his temple and taking Samantha from him to clean her up.

"It's not her fault." He mumbled.

"That's the spirit." She winked.

* * *

><p>"My mom talked to her doctor about one of those support programs so she could get the surgery cheaper, if not free." Alex explained. "There could be a waiting list though. So we won't know anything until she sends in the application and gets a call from the hospital."<p>

"I'm sure it'll all work out." Josh responded.

"Of course it will, Joshy. My mom doesn't deserve this. I'd give her my own lungs if she wouldn't kill me first for even considering it."

"Joshy is what Gracie calls me. Stop it."

"Gracie said I could call you that though."

"You asked her?" Josh chuckled in disbelief, squinting toward his house as they drew closer to it. "Come up with your own nickname."

"Be careful what you wish for." His boyfriend smirked, reaching for his hand.

Josh pulled his hand away as if Alex had burned him and sighed heavily, stuffing both his hands into his jean pockets. Alex's hurt expression made him wince, and the taller boy awkwardly crossed his arms over his chest.

"Sorry, not a hand holder." He shrugged.

"That's not it." Josh denied, taking a deep breath. He dragged a hand through his hair and looked around. He wrapped his hand around Alex's arm, pulling him toward the house and around to the back, under the kitchen window. "Look, it's not that – I'm just not – I don't…" He groaned, running the palm of his hand down his face. "Does your mum know you're gay?"

Alex nodded. "I told her when I was twelve, but it took me a little while to build up the courage."

"Yeah, well, my parents don't know. My friends don't know. No one knows. I…I'm not ready to say anything." Josh closed what little distance was between them. Alex leaned back on the wall, wrapping his arms around Josh's shoulders. "I want to date you and I like you a lot, I just don't want to tell anyone right now."

Alex licked his lips and then smiled a little, the dimple in his left cheek making a brief appearance before disappearing into a frown. "You know your parents wouldn't judge you for it."

"No, I know, it's not them, or my siblings. It's Leo and Danni and Sarah and Jacob and maybe – _maybe _– Louisa. I just don't want to lose people that I want to keep around."

"The people you want to keep around are good people that will support you, even if they don't understand you at first." After a second thought, he asked, "So you don't hold hands?"

Josh laughed, dropping his head onto Alex's shoulder. "I don't know… Yeah, sure, I'll hold your hand."

"Just not in public?"

Josh raised his head and met Alex's dark brown eyes. "Is that going to be a problem?"

"No, I can deal." He shrugged. "I guess it'll be hard, considering I'd like to kiss you whenever, but if you're not ready, then we'll wait. Besides, keeping us a secret will just make it more exciting."

Josh smirked, tilting his head up a little so he could kiss Alex's lips. Alex pulled away and kissed his cheek.

"Maybe we should go inside before someone catches us making out against the side of your house." He said.

"That's a good idea." Josh laughed, squeezing his waist as he pulled away.

* * *

><p>"Why does it seem like we hang out on the playground more than kids that should be hanging out on the playground should?" Leo asked Danni, pumping his legs to swing higher.<p>

Danni huffed, dropping from the monkey bars and climbing onto the playground so she could see Leo. "Those kids were born in a different generation that you and I. The generation of Xboxes and whatnot. We were born in the generation of playing outside when you're bored."

Leo nodded jumping off the swing and landing feet away on the playground padding. "That's true, I guess."

"Hey, I'm sorry for interrupting whatever you and Fiona were talking about the other day." She said, taking his place on the swing as he stood beside the place he had landed, waiting for her to try and beat the distance he had managed to jump.

"That's okay. It wasn't a big deal."

"What you were talking about or me interrupting?"

"You interrupting," he shrugged, slipping his hands into his jean pockets.

"Then what were you talking about?" She grunted and let go of the swing, landing inches ahead of Leo's landing spot and he groaned, scuffing the heal of his shoe against the ground as she laughed.

"I was going to ask her out." He replied after a moment of silence between them.

Danni nearly tripped over her feet, climbing up to the slides. She looked over the railing at him with wide eyes. "Seriously?"

"Seriously," he nodded, running a hand over his head.

"Sheesh, I'm sorry for interrupting! Why didn't you just say something?"

"I can do it another time. You just got back from your grandfather's funeral, I figured you needed to talk to her more than I did."

Danni laughed, rolling her eyes and continuing on her way to the slides. She sat at the top of one and watched him jump up to the monkey bars, pushing himself up between the bars so he could sit on them. "You're too nice of a guy, you know that? I really hope that never changes."

"I won't change." He promised her.

"Leopold, you deserve Fiona." She stated, slipping down the slide easily and jumping up.

* * *

><p><strong>Thanks for the reviews on the last chapter, you guys are fantastic! Xxx<strong>

**Now to continue with the songs that describe Josh and Alex:**

_**#2: "Boom boom boom! Gonna shoot ya right down, take you in my arms, I'm in love with you! Love that is true, boom boom boom. I like the way you walk, I like the way you talk. When you walk that walk and you talk that talk! You knock me out, right off of my feet." -Boom Boom, The Animals**_

**I first heard this song when Silva attacked Skyfall. It was playing from speakers attached to his helicopter as he flew in to kill M and 007. So because 00Silva is where I got my inspiration for Jalex (?), I felt Boom Boom was a good song for them. ;)**

**-Rachel**


	18. Chapter 18

**Hey! I'm gonna go see American Sniper today so I don't think I'll be writing much (I'm really anxious right now because I'll be hanging out with my ex-best friend so I'm all shaky :/) but I'm going to work on _Like a Knife_ today!**

**Just realized that this story has reached over 100 reviews! Thank you so much, guys! **

**Also, I've only got one day until All or Nothing is released to pledgers (only)! I'm so so so so excited! **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>"So when do I get my pie?" Justin asked, pouring the blue paint into a paint tray.<p>

Alice sighed deeply, eyes rolling to look up at the ceiling. "When we're done with the room, you'll get your pie, Slacker." As Justin started rolling the paint onto the first wall, Alice walked over to her laptop. "Do you mind if I play some music?"

"I do if it sucks." He grumbled.

_You say you're down on your luck. Hey, baby, it's a long, long way up. Hold back now, hold back your fears. _Angel's Wings began playing and Mike Ness' voice fell from the speakers. Justin blinked, looking back at Alice in surprise.

She shrugged. "What, our dad raised us on _good_ music."

"I didn't say anything." He chuckled.

They both went to work on the first wall, staying out of each other's way and avoiding arguments. That is, until Justin "accidently" got the paint in Alice's clean ringlets. He didn't bother hiding his amusement when she got upset and laughed loudly, until she came after him with her roller. They chased each other around the room until they needed to stop and refill the paint trays; that's when Alice decided to put a stop to it because they had used more paint on each other than the walls.

"You look good with blue hair." Justin commented after a while, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

"Shut up," Alice huffed.

"See, look," he lifted the nearly empty paint bucket and poured it onto her head. She froze and her mouth dropped open in shock as the rest of the paint dripped onto her shoulders and at her feet.

"I can't believe you just did that, you jerk!" she stomped her foot.

"Did you just stomp your foot?" he laughed.

"So what if I did?" she demanded, raising her eyebrows challengingly. She pushed her wet hair away from her face, fuming. "I am going to go and take a three hour long shower. And you are not getting your pie now because you are done helping me."

"So I wasted my Saturday after all." he scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest.

"You wanted a pie." She snapped, glaring at him.

He ran a paint covered hand through his hair, looking up at the ceiling.

She took a deep breath, and reached up, grabbing his face in her hands and pulling his head down to hers. His hands grabbed her waist quickly, pulling her hard against him, before she pulled back and left the room. His body swayed after her when she let go of his face. He placed a hand on the doorjamb to steady himself and watched her rush into the bathroom, closing the door quietly behind her. He licked his lips, Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed.

* * *

><p>Lynn poked her head around the tree and huffed when she didn't see Matty. She leaned back against it and stared at the fence that bordered the Rutter's backyard. "Matty, stop being mean to me. Where are you?"<p>

"Hiding is p-part of the g-game." He responded from his hiding place.

Lynn pushed off the tree and whipped around, rushing toward the fence. She jumped and grabbed onto the top of it, pulling herself up to look over the side.

"Lynn, get down!" Joy scolded, opening the backdoor of the house when she saw what she was doing. "You're going to hurt yourself."

"Matty and I are playing hide 'n seek and I can't find him!" Lynn explained, dropping from the fence and landing on her feet, stumbling a little but righting herself and looking up at her mother. "Where is he?"

"Well, he's not in the Lewis' backyard."

"Well, I thought he broke the rules going back there."

"Matty wouldn't break the rules, darling." Joy said.

Lynn moaned, pulling at her ponytail in frustration. "Then where is he?"

She gasped when she caught a glimpse of Matty's Spiderman mask and stormed past her mother, hurrying into the house and up the stairs.

"Lynn, be quiet, Samantha's—" Joy began to warn but sighed when Lynn shrieked, tackling Matty in the hallway.

"You broke the rules, Matty Clarke!" she accused, hugging his neck to keep him on the floor.

"No, I d-didn't, I was hiding b-behind the bush!" he told her as he struggled under her. "G-get off me, Lynn, p-please!"

"Lynn Marie, get off of him this instant." Joy ordered, pulling her off of Matty. She lightly spanked her, separating them, and then leaving them in the hallway to check on Samantha.

Matty backed into the corner and stared at Lynn with wide blue eyes. "P-please d-don't tackle me, Lynn."

Lynn huffed. "Fine, I'm sorry."

He grinned, brushing a hand over his curls in relief.

* * *

><p>When Alice finally left the bathroom, all traces of paint were gone and her hair was pinned behind her head with a big hairclip. She peaked into her room to see if Justin was still there, and she found that he had left, but not without completing the painting: all four walls, including the baseboards and the doors. And when her father called her down for dinner, she realized that she had been in the shower longer than three hours.<p>

The paint supplies were cleaned up and set in the corner neatly, a note sitting on the lid of an empty paint can.

_Barbie,_

_Forget the pie._

_-Slacker_

* * *

><p>Alex plopped down beside Josh on the sofa and leaned into his side, pausing <em>Friends<em> so he could get Josh's attention. "Joshua, can you help me with something?"

With furrowed eyebrows, Josh nodded hesitantly.

"I need you to help me quit smoking."

Josh straightened a little, taking Alex's hand in his and entwining their fingers. "I can do that."

"I've taken breaks from it before, but they were never very long. I want to straight up quit and be done with it. I don't want anyone else affected by it."

Josh placed a kiss on Alex's temple. "Isn't it a bit of a process?"

"Yeah, and I'll do my best to keep up with whatever method you try."

"Alright. Where are all of your cigarettes?"

"All of them? I've got two packs in my backpack and five packs in my room." He listed after a moment.

Josh blinked. "Any at school?"

"No, keeping cigarettes in my locker will get me suspended."

Josh took a deep breath. "Okay, grab all of them."

He gathered the packs and laid them out on the coffee table. Josh lifted his backpack off the floor beside the sofa and pulled a black marker from one of the pockets, holding it out to Alex.

"What's this for?" he asked.

"On each of those packs, write the name of someone you want to protect from secondhand smoke. Every time you pick up a pack to smoke, you'll read the name, and hopefully it'll remind you to quit."

Alex nodded. "Okay." He picked up the first packet and scribbled _Mom_ in large letters. He casted a glance at Josh and scrawled _Gracie _on another. Josh leaned back in the sofa cushions, playing _Friends _again while Alex continued with his project.

* * *

><p><strong>The song Alice was listening to was "Angel's Wings" by Social Distortion.<strong>

_**#3: "Can you hear my voice where you are? When I'm without you every moment falls apart. I'm a burned out light in the dark. In my empty shell I am calling out. I've lost my faith, lost my way. It's all so far away... What have I become? Can't face the morning sun (just save me). You're the only one who can pull me out, save me from myself. Just save me, just save me." -Just Save Me, Like A Storm**_

**This is one of the songs that inspired me to have Alex be just a little more beat up than Josh. (It's also a Jara song when you think about it... But every song is a Jara song from a certain point of view. ;)**

**-Rachel**


	19. Chapter 19

**HEY!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>"Wow, I love it!" Jenna exclaimed, looking around Alice's bedroom. "See? This was a good idea."<p>

"I barely did any of it." Alice confessed, crossing her arms over her chest.

"You made Justin do all of it? How'd you manage that?" Jenna laughed, taking a seat on Alice's desk chair and spinning as she did so until she was facing her friend again.

"I kissed him." She stated nonchalantly.

Jenna blinked and her brown eyes grew wide. "You did what?"

"I kissed him." She replied, her voice more timid this time.

"You kissed Justin? When? Where? How long was it? Did he kiss you back? You initiated it, right? How did he respond? Was it good?" She spit questions out at her and before she could reply, she added, "I honestly don't want to know all of the answers to those questions, considering that he's my best guy friend and I don't want to know about that kinda thing involving him, but tell me everything!"

Alice stared at her silently for a moment and then swallowed. "Can you repeat the question?"

Jenna took a deep breath, stood up, gripped her hand, and pulling her over to the bed, sitting on the edge. "When?"

"Saturday."

"You kissed him Saturday?" she shrieked. "Two days ago, you kissed him, and you waited until now to tell me?"

"I thought he would've let you know and then you'd jump me for details." Alice raised her hands to her shoulders in defense.

"No! He hasn't talked to me since Friday! I just thought he was busy! Oh my, god! Where did you kiss him?"

"Over by the door."

"How long was it?"

Alice scoffed, pushing her blonde hair over her shoulder. "I don't know. I wasn't really paying attention to that, Jen."

"Did he kiss you back? What was his body language?"

Alice mumbled out responses to all of Jenna's questions and showed her the note when she requested it, but didn't go into too much detail, despite Jenna's eagerness.

"So now what?"

"Now what, what?" Alice chuckled.

"Are you guys like, together or something?"

"How am I supposed to know?"

Jenna sighed, falling back on the bed. "Okay, I'll talk to him. But great job, making the first move, baby!"

Alice rolled her eyes and laughed. "Yeah, thanks. It doesn't make me feel very good. I'm so confused."

"I'm pretty sure you'd still feel confused even if he had made the first move."

* * *

><p>"Hey, Fiona," Leo smiled, coming up behind her in the coffee shop.<p>

Fiona looked over her shoulder and a bright smile slipped onto her face. "Hi, Leo, how are you?"

"I'm good," he nodded nervously, stuffing his hands into his pockets to do something with them. They stepped forward when the line moved up. Fiona ordered her coffee and he ordered his beverage after she was finished.

"Oh, didn't you want to talk to me the other day before Danni got back?" she asked him, placing a hand on his arm when they were standing at the end of the counter, waiting for their drinks.

"Yeah, I did, um…" he swallowed thickly, his eyes drifting away from her and landing on Danni sitting in the booth near the entrance. She made several motions with her hands, watching them with raised eyebrows, mouthing silent encouraging words to him. "I was wondering if—"

"Cappuccino and hot chocolate," the woman behind the coffee said, sliding the cups toward them.

Fiona picked hers up and thanked the woman, linking her arm with Leo's as they walked away from the counter.

"What was I talking about?" Leo mumbled.

Fiona giggled, sipping her coffee carefully. "You were wondering if…"

"Oh, r-right, I was wondering if you'd like to—"

"Hey, are you two coming over to Louisa's place to do homework?" Jacob interrupted, suddenly appearing beside them.

Leo straightened a little. "Yep! Are we going now?"

Jacob nodded, following Sarah and Louisa out of the building. Danni caught his eye when he and Fiona fell into step with her. She arched an accusing eyebrow and shook her head, looking to be incredibly frustrated with him.

* * *

><p>"Okay, Alex," Josh groaned in aggravation, pushing his boyfriend's face away from his neck. "New rule: you are not allowed to kiss me, lick me, bite me – or do anything to me – while you're sitting on my lap when I'm playing Minecraft."<p>

Alex pouted, slipping his fingers into Josh's hair. "Why not?"

"It's distracting! I accidently hit a Zombie Pigman with an arrow when I was trying to kill that stupid Ghast and now I've got a herd of Pigmen after me _and _two Ghasts flinging fireballs at me and they're backing me into lava and you biting my ear is not going to prevent me from dying!"

Alex pressed his lips together to keep himself from laughing and kissed his lips slowly. "You're really sexy when you're worked up, you know."

"Baby, come on, I let you sit in my lap. The least you could do for me is let me concentrate." Josh sighed.

Alex nodded. "Alright, I'll behave."

"Thank you."

The comfortable moment was interrupted by someone trying to open Josh's bedroom door. Alex hopped off of him and Josh straightened a little, doing the buttons of his shirt Alex had released.

"Why is this door locked?" Louisa demanded from the other side of it, knocking on it rapidly.

Alex unlocked and opened it, leaning against the doorjamb. "We're getting it on, isn't it obvious?"

Louisa rolled her blue eyes and barged past him, followed by her friends. "Seriously, why was the door locked, Josh?"

"I was playing a campaign level on _Call of Duty_ a while ago and it had a lot of gore and swearing in it. I didn't want Gracie or Matty walking in and having the F-bomb dropped right in front of them. Sorry, I forgot to unlock it." Josh lied easily.

"So what's _he_ doing here, then?" she motioned to Alex with an expression of disgust while he just grinned at her.

"Usually when he's over," Josh began, "He complains about the world, tells me stories about himself, sings along with his music – terribly, I might add – or reads to me."

"Speaking of reading," Alex smirked, whipping out _Where the Sidewalk Ends. _"What should I read today? Hmm, oh, here we go. This one's about _garbage_."

Josh shot him a look. "Don't make fun of my accent."

"I'm not making fun of your accent." Alex chuckled, looking down at the book. "It's called _Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout Would Not Take the _Garbage _Out."_

"You're going to say garbage like that the entire time, aren't you?" Josh deadpanned.

"Maybe…"

* * *

><p><strong>Thank you for the reviews on the last chapter! Xx <strong>

**I'll be updating _A Love Like War_ soon! **

_**#4: "When you walked into the room, I could see you were no fool. Is that smile a sign for me? Only if my heart could see. Can I hold you in my dreams? Keep your body close to me, tell myself I've got control, even though you're hot to hold." -Heart Too Hot To Hold, Jesse Johnson, Stephanie Spruill**_

**I had to update the list of songs on Into the Future again because of _All or Nothing_! ;)**

**-Rachel**


	20. Chapter 20

**No joke, y'all, I started bawling when I heard Juliet's _All or Nothing_ EP! If you haven't heard it, you can find it on Spotify for free, you can buy it on Amazon (and it'll be available on iTunes soon), or I can email you the download! :D Trust me, the money is more than worth it! I can't stop listening to it! I'd love to hear your opinions on the songs! **

**Also, go vote on the poll on my profile so I can get to working on some new samples! I know, they're teases, but writing samples helps me get new ideas out of my head so I can complete old stories and then start new ones! :D**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Emily stared at Michael in shock through her rectangular glasses, noting the tuxedo he was wearing, unable to speak.<p>

"Hey," he smiled unsurely, swiping a hand through his blond hair.

"What…are you doing?" she choked out, a smile pulling on the corners of her lips.

"I'm still trying to fix us. Will you go to prom with me?" he asked.

"No."

Michael winced when she shut the door in his face and his shoulders slumped. He undid his bowtie and shrugged off his black jacket, leaning back on the front door of her apartment. His whole body jerked when he suddenly felt himself falling backwards. He cussed loudly when he hit the floor beneath him, looking up at Emily as she was covering her mouth to hide her laughter.

"Are you okay?" she giggled.

His cheeks warmed a little at his lack of grace and picked himself up, dusting his pants off. "Yeah, I'm fine." He chuckled.

"I don't want to go to the prom; I was just about to watch _House on Haunted Hill. _Would you like to watch it with me?"

Michael smiled lopsidedly. "Yeah, that's a lot better than my idea."

Emily shook her head with a smile and closed the door behind him.

* * *

><p>Alex rushed into the Clarke house and skidded to a stop in the doorway to the common room. "Where's Josh?"<p>

"You know, you can't just barge in here whenever you want." Louisa stated.

"He's upstairs," Sarah answered him.

He nodded once and hurried up the stairs to the second floor, storming into Josh's room and locking the door behind him. He tossed his backpack onto Josh's bed, pulling a pack of gum out of his back pocket. He unwrapped a piece and popped it into his mouth. "Josh, I've got two things to tell you. One is pretty good news that's paired with a little bad news, and the other is incredible news!"

Josh chuckled, setting his controller aside and standing up. "Does that gum help you with your smoking?"

Alex looked momentarily confused and then nodded. "Yeah, it does."

"I'm proud of you, baby, you're doing really well."

"Thanks," he smiled and then quickly returned the topic he had entered the room with, "First, my mom is on the scholarship list for surgery, but it could be a couple years before she can get free treatment. It all depends if someone dies or something before her."

Josh nodded. "Well, it's a good thing that she qualifies for a scholarship, right?"

"Absolutely." Alex moved forward and wrapped his arms around Josh's neck. "And what else? Juliet's EP came out! I got the download like five minutes ago, you have to listen to it with me!"

Josh smirked. "Okay."

"Okay!" Alex grinned, heading for Josh's laptop. He played the first song seconds later and shot up to grab onto Josh again. "Oh my, god, I'm shaking. I'm gonna fucking cry."

Josh laughed breathily and hugged Alex's waist, kissing his jaw.

* * *

><p>"Hey, Monkey," Jerome called from his and Mara's bedroom when Gracie was hurrying into her own. She stopped and then turned to peer through the doorway.<p>

"Yes, daddy?" she replied innocently.

Jerome's blue eyes narrowed suspiciously and he crooked a finger in her direction. "Come here for a second."

She walked into the room calmly and climbed onto the bed beside Mara and across from Jerome. She kept her face straight, giving no clue as to what was inside her dress pocket.

Jerome's lips twitched to smirk and he reached over to tug gently on one of her pigtails. "Could you help us with a baby name?"

She nodded eagerly with a wide smile.

"Okay, do you like Cheyenne or Juliette for a girl?" Mara asked her.

Gracie cocked her head thoughtfully. "Is the baby a girl or a boy? Am I going to have a baby sister?"

"Or a baby brother," Jerome answered, "We won't know for a while."

Gracie hummed, her bright eyes flitting to Mara's stomach. "I like Juliette. Like _Romeo and Juliet_!"

"Okay, and what about Tyler or Anthony?"

"There's a boy in my arts class named Tyler." She mumbled. "He made a really pretty sculpture of his dog Juno."

Jerome arched an eyebrow, waiting for her decision.

"I want a baby sister, but if it's a baby brother, I like Tyler." She said with a single nod.

"Thank you, darling," Jerome winked.

"Thanks, sweetie," Mara cooed, kissing her cheek.

"You're welcome," she replied, hopping off the bed and rushing out of the room. She stepped into her own bedroom and sat against the door, pulling the chocolate chip cookie out of her pocket. She brought it to her mouth for a long awaited bite but froze when she heard her father say,

"Monkey, that's the only cookie you'll get today."

Gracie sighed sadly, standing up and leaving the room so she could return the cookie to the kitchen.

* * *

><p>"Which song did you like best?" Alex asked Josh, looking back at him as they walked down the stairs.<p>

"I guess I really liked _All or Nothing _and _Not Broken Yet._" Josh replied with a sigh.

"Andy and Juliet's voices complement each other's so well!" Alex agreed, stopping behind the arm chair Fiona was sitting in.

Louisa looked away from the television and up at Josh when he blew a bubble with the gum in his mouth and it popped loudly. "Hey, can I have a piece?"

Josh froze in mid-chew, locking eyes with her. He replied quickly, "You'll have to ask Alex, he gave it to me."

"More like you stole it." Alex grumbled, tossing a new piece into his mouth.

"Never mind, then," Louisa shrugged, turning back to the TV.

Alex looked over at Josh with an amused expression, his dark brown eyes dancing mischievously. He winked when Josh met his eyes and the blond rolled his eyes in response, the tips of his ears reddening.

* * *

><p>Michael held his breath, wrapping his arms around Emily so he wouldn't jerk her awake, moving away from her and laying her down on the sofa. He draped a blanket over her and kneeled in front of her. He pressed a gently kiss to her temple, brushing a strand of her light brown hair over her ear. "Sweet dreams, darling." He whispered, against her skin.<p>

He stood up and swung his jacket over his shoulder, making his way to the front door. He stepped out of the apartment and turned around quickly when he heard someone shuffle up behind him. He smiled softly at Emily. "Night, Finley." He winked.

Emily gnawed on the inside of her cheek anxiously and then rose up on her toes, still so much shorter than him, and wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing his head down to hers. She tightened her grip on him desperately and his hands landed on her arms in surprise before sliding them down to her shoulders and around her back, crushing her against him.

She pulled away slowly, reluctantly, leaving him wanting more, whispering a breath away from his lips, "Night, Clarke," and then disappearing into the apartment, locking the door behind her.

* * *

><p><strong>I hate to admit this, but I forgot how much I love Mimily... -_-<strong>

**#5: "Glass hailed from the sky that night, I couldn't hide to save my life. Standing drenched in open wounds, you took my hand and pulled me through. I want to give you my everything, I'll give you my all, because you gave me, you gave me your lips, a gentle kiss. The medicine to cure my pain." -Give You My All, Eyes Set To Kill**

**That's the song that inspired the scene in which Alex and Josh first kissed! **

**-Rachel**


	21. Chapter 21

**Hey!**

**I uploaded a new sample on_ Into the Future,_ go check it out! **

**And vote the poll on my profile!**

**I'll be updating _A Love Like War_ today!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Eric caught Danni's elbow in his hand so he could pull her to a stop beside him in the school hallway. She looked up at him and jerked her arm away from him.<p>

"What?"

Eric refrained from rolling his eyes and arched an eyebrow in question.

She widened her eyes a little, shaking her head, like she didn't know what he was trying to say. And then she realized what he wanted and took a deep breath. "No."

Eric's lopsided smile fell to a frown and his silvery orbs dimmed. "No." he repeated, so quiet she couldn't hear him over the buzz of students in the hall, but she didn't need to.

"I don't want to be with you again." She shrugged. Her face softened. "I'm sorry, okay? But I really would just prefer it if we could go back to calling each other names on opposite sides of the hallway and hating each other's guts."

A sad smiled pulled at his lips and he shook his head, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment. "Right. I, um…I can't do that." He said honestly. He breathed in slowly, looking down at his combat boots awkwardly, the deafening sound of his heart pounding in his ears. He reached out hesitantly, and when she didn't move away from him, he touched a strand of her curled auburn hair. "I like your hair like this."

"You already told me that." She pointed out, her guilt obvious in her voice.

"I know," he nodded. He swallowed thickly and dropped his hand to his side. "See you around, Danni."

She watched him walk down the corridor with his head hanging low, a heavy weight on her chest pressing down even harder than before.

* * *

><p>Josh sighed softly, reaching over to Alex's nightstand and swiping his phone off of it as the alarm shrilled from it. He typed in the password to shut it off and dropped his cell onto the floor. Turning onto his side, he leaned closer to Alex and kissed the tip of his nose. "Wake up." He murmured.<p>

Alex groaned, shifting closer to him, pushing him onto his back, and resting his head on his boyfriend's chest. "Not yet, Corazón."

Josh let his eyes flutter close again. He silently observed things that he could suddenly noticed.

Alex's voice got husky when he was half asleep and it sent chills up his spine, his heart beating faster. His breathing became shallow very quickly as he fell asleep easily. He snored loudly.

Alex's heart rate was slightly faster than it probably should be, beating heavily against Josh's side. His hands were cold, but he brought a warmth Josh would've normally found uncomfortable. When he was drifting off, his fingers tapped against Josh's stomach as if he was playing a piano, because he had a song stuck in his head.

When he called him Corazón…Josh didn't know what it meant, and he couldn't place the time Alex had first called him that, but he was pretty sure it had happened at a time that he was too distracted to ask what it meant, so he didn't bother asking later. But it stuck and he wasn't going to make him stop calling him that.

Josh swallowed and lifted a hand to Alex's head, running his fingers through his wavy black hair. "Baby, I've got to get home before anyone gets worried, assuming I've left for good."

Alex stirred awake and blinked up at him. "Fine…"

Josh smirked, sitting up when Alex rolled off of him. He slipped on his shoes and picked his cellphone up off the floor. Alex got up onto his knees behind him and wrapped his arms around his shoulders. "Text me later, okay?"

Josh nodded, standing up and twisting around to face him. "Promise." He gripped Alex's chin in his hand and pulled his face to his for a short kiss. "See you tomorrow."

Alex hummed a response and fell back onto his bed in exhaustion.

* * *

><p>"Please?" Lynn dragged out, grabbing onto her father's arm as he walked into the house.<p>

Fabian chuckled, looking down at her. "Please what?"

"Can we get a puppy?" Jamie exclaimed, popping out of the dining room.

"A puppy?"

"They've been asking me for a puppy all day." Joy told him when he entered the kitchen.

"Why do they want one now?" he asked her as he leaned down to kiss her.

She shrugged, stepping around him so she could get to the refrigerator.

"What's going on?" Fiona asked, plucking a grape from the bowl on the counter and popping it into her mouth. She gagged and her face scrunched up. "It is not the right time for those."

Joy chuckled softly, pressing her lips together.

Fiona shivered and reached for a cucumber in the salad bowl.

"Jamie and Lynn want a puppy." Fabian said.

"Oh, can we get one?"

He sighed. "You too?"

"Who doesn't love puppies?" she giggled.

"Please, daddy?" Lynn smiled, looking up at him with wide brown eyes.

Joy met his eyes and laughed at his expression. "What's wrong?"

"If I can't say no to you and your eyes, how am I supposed to say no to her?" he demanded. He ran a hand through his hair. "Your mother and I will discuss it."

"That means yes!" Jamie cried excitedly.

"That means maybe." Joy corrected.

"Go ahead and talk about it," she encouraged, grabbing Lynn's hand. "We're going to go tell Nathan!"

Fiona watched them rush out of the room and then turned back to her parents. "What?"

"Can we talk?" Fabian responded, raising his eyebrows.

"I have to leave?" she sighed and headed for the living room. "Fine…"

Fabian rolled his blue eyes and leaned against the counter top, studying Joy as she made supper. "Have I told you that you're beautiful today?"

"You're avoiding the subject." She smiled knowingly.

He nodded. "Well?"

"I wouldn't mind."

"That's code for, 'I want one as well'. You probably started this whole thing." He teased.

She gasped and widened her eyes in feigned ignorance. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Fabes."

He hummed disbelievingly. Crossing his arms over his chest, he relented, "Alright, we can get a dog."

"Fantastic!" she smiled brightly, throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him.

* * *

><p><strong>Welp, with this story I seem to be sinking more ships than sailing them. Sorry.<strong>

**#6: "I'm gonna let you bleed for a little bit. I'm gonna make you beg just for making me cry. I'm gonna make you wish you never said goodbye. Now your life is broken, revolves around love. No love of yourself, but the love you have lost. We said desperation is lonely despair. You don't love yourself, you've got no love to share." -Cry, The Used**

**-Rachel**


	22. Chapter 22

**Hey!**

**I updated _A Love Like War!_**

**Also, vote the poll on my profile if you haven't already! :D**

**And go check out the new sample I have on _Into the Future_! :)**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Emily looked down at her hand, intertwined with Michael's, and then back up at her boyfriend. "My grandmother told me that you'd make mistakes, but you'd work to fix them."<p>

Michael pulled her to a halt in the middle of the sidewalk. "I'll do whatever it takes to fix it."

"Just don't do it again." She said. "Promise me that it'll never happen again. This is the only chance I'm giving you."

"I promise, there will never be another, darling. I love you. You're the only one for me." He whispered truthfully, his love for her shining in his pale blue eyes causing her breath to catch in her throat.

She nodded without a word and tugged on his hand so they could continue walking.

"Do you still love me?" he asked softly.

Emily's shoulders rose and fell in time with her deep breath. "Yes. Nothing will ever change that. I just don't want to say it back yet."

Michael's dark eyebrows furrowed and she caught his gaze when his eyes flitted to her face.

"I think I said it too soon." She explained. "Maybe a few more months. After all this…some time alone has given me room to think. I still do, I'm just not going to say it back yet."

"I can live with that." He said.

* * *

><p>A smirk twitched at Justin's lips when he opened the front door and his green eyes landed on Alice standing on his front porch with a pumpkin pie in her hands. "Hi." He greeted.<p>

"Hey." She replied.

"I told you to forget about the pie."

She rolled her eyes, holding the pie out to him. "Thank you for painting my room. You did a fantastic job."

"I promised I'd do it, so I did." He shrugged.

"I promised to make you a pie, so I did." She retorted, holding it out to him.

He sighed in defeat and took it from her, being rewarded with a whiff of the pumpkin spice and he nearly moaned. "Thanks, it smells delicious."

"I've never made one before, so sorry if I messed it up." She said sheepishly.

Justin's smirk grew into a grin. "Don't worry, I'm sure it'll be fine." He set it down on the table next to the door that was cluttered with unread mail, loose change and key rings. When he turned back to her, he forgot what he was going to say next.

She smiled at him, clasping her hands in front of her.

Justin chuckled, running a quick hand through his hair. He swallowed to prevent himself from choking on air and leaned down, gripping her wrist and pressing his lips to hers.

Alice lifted her small hands to his neck and kissed him back, enthusiastically allowing him to deepen the kiss when he silently asked permission as his hands splayed over her back, trying to get her as close to him as possible.

When they broke the kiss to breathe, their hearts pounding against each other's chests, Justin rested his head against hers. "Would you like to go out with me?"

Alice smiled and breathlessly answered, "Yeah, I'd like that."

* * *

><p>"Now that I'm on the swim team, I have to work out a little more often that I have been." Alex clarified, stretching his long arms above his head.<p>

Josh nodded silently, keeping his eyes fixed on his game.

"I've been doing yoga for the last few weeks. But now I'm going into the heavier stuff. I've let myself go, just a little bit. So I'm gonna start up with running, weights, and a bunch of other stop. Also, remind me to start eating healthier too. Could you hold my feet? I'm going to do some sit-ups."

Josh huffed. "Hold on a second, baby."

Alex situated himself on the floor of Josh's bedroom as his boyfriend finished his game. He tossed the remote control on his bed and kneeled in front of Alex, wrapping hands around the tops of his tennis shoes.

Alex took a deep, calming breath, and then with another, he brought himself into a sitting position before slowly lowering himself back onto the floor. When he came up the second time, Josh leaned forward and pecked his lips. Alex froze and grinned.

"You just made working out much more enjoyable, Corazón." He wheezed out a chuckle.

"You smoked." Josh noted.

Alex sighed, lifting his upper body off the floor again and looking Josh in the eye. "Just a quick cigarette on the way here. Don't worry. I've gone a whole week without smoking; your method is really working."

Josh licked his lips and let go of Alex's feet so he could reach into the pocket of Alex's track pants. He pulled out his pack of gum and held a piece out to him. Alex bit it out of his hand and chewed it into his mouth, sitting up again.

"Kiss," he requested, pursing his lips.

Josh kissed him quickly and watched him lay back on the floor.

"So, Corazón, out of all the Juliet Simms and Automatic Loveletter songs you've consciously listened to, what's your favorite?" he questioned, kissing him again when he raised his back off the floor.

Josh smirked and shrugged his thin shoulders. "I don't know. I like the one that's got lyrics like fade away or something like that?"

Alex sat up again and smiled. "_Fade Away_? That's the third song off the album, _Truth or Dare_."

"The things I learn from you." Josh said teasingly.

Alex faked a chuckle and sat up one last time, cupping the back of Josh's head and pulling him in for a longer kiss. He pulled away and blew a bubble with his gum. Josh nipped at it with his teeth and the bubble popped. Alex chuckled lowly. "Are you going to steal my gum away from me again?"

* * *

><p><strong>I'm in a Jalice mood. I'll probably spend the rest of the night writing candy bars for them. Anyway...<strong>

**#7: "There's nothing left to show, this fire's burning slow, and there's a million reasons you don't have to go. Your kisses in the rain are driving me insane, I don't have the answers, I just want you to stay. I gave you all I had, and I don't have any more to give. This is everything." -Stay, Jeff Gutt**

**-Rachel**


	23. Chapter 23

**Hey!**

**Vote on the poll on my profile!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Josh tossed Alex a towel and crossed his arms over his chest. "Don't you have swim practice or whatever today?"<p>

"Yeah, I was just getting a little practice in before the practice." Alex grinned lopsidedly, draping the towel over his shoulders. "What are you up to?"

Josh looked around the empty indoor pool and shrugged a shoulder. "I was bored."

Alex chuckled under his breath.

"What?" Josh demanded.

"Admit it, you missed me."

Josh scoffed. "I did not. I saw you this morning, and I'll see you this afternoon, and then I'll see you tonight. There's no way I missed you."

Alex watched him turn away from him with a raised eyebrow, and then, with a quick glance around the pool to make sure they were still alone, he rushed Josh and tackled him into the pool, falling in beside him. Josh surfaced a second after he did and coughed water out of his mouth. He splashed some toward his boyfriend. "What the hell was that for, you dick!"

Alex laughed loudly, swimming forward and wrapping his arms around his neck, kissing him slowly.

Josh took a second to enjoy the kiss, risky as it was, and then he pushed Alex away from him, splashing more water in his direction. "You jerk! I'm soaked!"

"Well you're in the water. Did you expect to be dry when you touched it?" Alex retorted.

"Alex," barked Alex's swim coach, Will, followed by the rest of the swim team. "What are you two doing?"

Alex grinned and saluted him. "Just having a little swim."

"He pushed me in." Josh accused, swimming toward the ladder.

"Are you alright?" Will asked him, handing him a towel.

"Fine," he replied, shooting a glare in his boyfriend's direction, "Except I have to call someone to bring me dry clothes. My mum or my dad or Michael or someone that'll be available but everyone's at school or work."

Alex blinked. "You don't have a change of clothes here?"

"No! You know why? I don't take gym!" he growled, grabbing his bag.

"I'm sorry, dude, I didn't know."

Josh stared at him. "You're not sorry."

"No, I seriously am!"

He didn't reply and stormed out of the room without another word.

"Um, give me a second?" he asked sheepishly and hurried after him. He jogged into the locker room and looked around, hoping to find Josh. He stopped when he saw him sitting on a bench, talking on his phone.

"Can you bring me a change of clothes?" he said, meeting Alex's eyes when he noticed him.

Alex waved slightly and sat beside him, leaning over to give him a hesitant peck on the cheek.

Josh moved away from him a little in case anyone was to walk in and answered Michael on the other line. "Alex pushed me into the pool, but that's not the point. I need some dry clothes." He stopped again as Michael replied and then glanced back at Alex. "Thanks, bro." He ended the call and raised his eyebrows. "What?"

"I really am sorry, Corazón, I didn't know you didn't have any clothes here." He said sincerely.

"Yeah, I know, but tone the whole…couple thing down a bit, would you? I let you kiss me in the pool, but that was risky. Just as risky as it is for you to kiss my cheek and call me Corazón."

"I don't think you minded that kiss in the pool too much." Alex winked.

Josh rolled his eyes.

"Forgive me?"

Josh nodded. "Yeah. I know you were just having fun."

He grinned and stared at him for a second before standing up. But Josh stood up as well, looked over his shoulder, and kissed him quickly.

"No more risky kisses." He warned, poking his chest, and sitting down again.

* * *

><p>"Hey!"<p>

Michael stopped on the steps and looked up as TJ rushed past other students to reach him. "Oh, so, now you're talking to me?"

"You got back together with Emily! Congrats!" she laughed, fixing her backpack strap on her shoulder.

Michael rolled his eyes and continued on his way. "How did you even find out about it? We haven't told too many people."

"You guys were nominated as cutest couple for the yearbook." She informed him, struggling to keep up with his long-strides.

"What did you do?" he groaned.

"Hey, I'm not on the yearbook comity. However…You told Alice, right? Well, she probably told Jenna Lewis—"

"Jenna doesn't go to this school."

"Jenna probably told Karen Smith's younger sister Olivia, so Karen heard about it. She probably told Isaiah Walker, and he's dating Susan Marsh, who is the comity leader or whatever they call her."

Michael stopped and stared at her for a second before chuckling. "How did you come up with that?"

"You gotta know all the facts first." She replied. "Wait, where were you during lunch?"

"I had to go home for something."

TJ shrugged and inquired, "So everything's going alright then?"

"Yeah, everything's almost completely normal."

"Did you ever get a response from that university?"

"Oh, yeah, I was going to talk to her about that in a few days." He said.

* * *

><p>"You got a new favorite word, brosef?" Danni called, drawing closer to the playground.<p>

Leo looked up at her from the monkey bars and shrugged, swinging his legs over the side of the bars and dropping onto the padding beneath him. "No."

"Balderdash!" she exclaimed.

He smiled a little, meeting her halfway at the swings.

"This whole Fiona thing is really getting you down, isn't it?" she asked sympathetically.

"I keep trying. It's terrifying, but I keep trying, and we keep getting interrupted. By everyone! And it's not like they're doing it on purpose, but it just feels like the universe doesn't even want me to have a chance."

"That must suck."

He chuckled. "It does."

"What about nudiustertian?" she suggested after a moment of comfortable silence.

Leo's eyebrows furrowed. "What?"

"That could be your new favorite word."

"Repeat it?"

"Nudiustertian."

"Is that even a word?"

Danni laughed and shrugged her shoulders. "Yeah. I don't know where I heard it but it's a real word."

"What does it mean?" he questioned incredulously. He opened his mouth to guess but she cut him off, holding up her hand.

"It is not a Martian nudist." She rolled her eyes and huffed out a breath. "It means 'the day before yesterday'."

"Why would they come up with such a long word for that? I don't even think I could pronounce it."

"Then it could be kartoffel."

"What's that?"

"German for potato."

"I like that one better."

* * *

><p><strong>#8: "Say anything, say anything, say anything to make this all okay. Take it away, take it away, take away all of this emptiness I feel. 'Cause I will never find another you. Another you, another you... I still hear you in this house (whispering). I still feel you in my bones (in these veins). And like the portaits in the halls (can't help but think), I wish you were staring back at me (but you're gone)." -Another You, Of Mice &amp; Men<strong>

**-Rachel**


	24. Chapter 24

**Hey!**

**So the poll is tied six ways. xD No one can agree on one story. Go vote on it if you haven't yet!**

**And is my avatar cute, or is it cute? My Andliet babies... \o/**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Justin chuckled, leading Alice up the front porch steps of her house by her hand. He turned to her and smirked. "That was fun."<p>

"And to think that all we had to do to get along was go out." Alice smiled.

"I would have never known you were so weird." He joked.

"I would have never know you're more of a slacker than I give you credit for." She retorted.

Justin rolled his eyes and took a step forward, closing the distance between them. "You look really good in that shade of blue." He said softly.

She looked down at her blouse and her cheeks warmed.

He chuckled. "Did you wear that for me?" He wrapped his hand around her neck and pushed her chin up with his thumb, meeting her lips. Her hands gripped the collar of his jacket and his hands slid around to her back, crushing her against him as he turned her back to the porch railing and pressed her against it.

And suddenly, the fog in his mind cleared, and he pulled away. He forced a gentle smile onto his face and she returned it, her eyes gleaming with understanding.

"See you around, Barbie." He murmured, kissing her forehead.

"Later, Slacker," she responded, walking into the house as he made his way down the street.

* * *

><p>"Buenos días, mi Corazón, ¿cómo estás?"<p>

"What?" Josh scoffed.

Alex sighed, his shoulders slumping a little. "Hey."

Josh smirked. "Hey, baby."

His boyfriend spun his chair away from the desk and sat across his lap, leaning forward to kiss him, but his lips met his cheek.

"Don't kiss me."

"Why not? I locked the door—"

"I just had a peanut butter sandwich."

Alex shrugged. "I'll take my chances."

"Uh, no," Josh chuckled, "I really don't want to be the reason you die."

"I won't die, I'll just break out in hives. And I may or may not have so much trouble breathing that I'll have to go to the hospital – but seriously, I'll be fine."

"No, Alex."

"What about my hello kiss?" he pouted.

"Can you settle for a kiss on the cheek?"

"If I must."

Josh gripped his chin and turned his head, pecking his cheek quickly.

"Can I kiss you in other places?" Alex asked with a wolfish grin as Josh spun the chair back around to the desk and his homework.

"Have at it, baby."

As Alex leaned into Josh's neck and pressed his lips to the sensitive spot behind his ear, someone knocked on the door.

"Joshy, Alexy? Do you want to build a snowman?" Gracie sang.

Alex dropped his head onto Josh's shoulder and wheezed out a laugh. "She's the best."

"Can we play _Candy Land_?" she asked with a giggle.

Alex hopped off of Josh and went to open the door. "Absolutely, Gracie!"

She smiled happily, carrying the game into the room and closing the door behind her, locking it. Alex tilted his head to the side in bewilderment but didn't question it as he sat beside her on the floor and Josh joined them for a much needed break.

"Joshy," she sighed thoughtfully when they began playing.

"Yeah?" he looked up at her after he had moved his gingerbread piece.

"I want to say that I'm sorry."

Alex's dark brown eyes flitted to Josh for a clue as to what she was talking about but he seemed just as confused.

"Why? You didn't do anything wrong." He chuckled.

"No, once, I said that I want to play Candy Land with you when you have a girlfriend. And that your girlfriend will be really nice to me. And she will be really funny. She will look like mummy with black hair and brown eyes. And she will laugh a lot because you will make her happy. Well…I'm sorry because I said girlfriend, but I mean boyfriend."

Alex choked back a laugh of surprise while Josh's eyes grew wide.

"Gracie, why would you say that?" he demanded.

"Because Alexy is your boyfriend!" she smiled, motioning to him.

"What did you say?" he snapped quietly at him.

Alex raised his hands in surrender. "I didn't do anything! She must've seen us…or heard us…? I thought we were really careful around here."

"Gracie, how do you know about us?" Josh questioned quickly.

"Because of the way you look at each other." She replied.

Josh swallowed and licked his thin lips. "Gracie, you haven't told anyone else, right?"

She shook her head and drew a card, moving her pawn.

"Gracie, look at me."

She smiled up at him and reached out to tap his nose with the tip of her finger. "You really like Alexy, don't you?"

Alex smirked, looking down at the floor for a second.

Josh took his little sister's hand in his and smiled a little. "Can you do me a favor?"

Gracie nodded, her blonde curls bouncing.

"Don't tell anyone, okay?"

"Why not?"

"It's a really big secret." Alex told her. "We're going to surprise everyone."

"Oh, I love surprises!" she exclaimed.

"Yeah, so we're going to wait for a while, and then tell everyone. But don't tell anyone before that. Not mum, not dad, not Arty – do you understand?"

Gracie took a deep breath and smiled at her big brother. "Yeah, I understand."

"Thanks, Gracie, you're the best." he winked.

"I know," she shrugged.

* * *

><p>"Hey, how'd the date go?" Eddie asked when Justin walked into the kitchen. He opened the refrigerator and pulled out a soda, opening it with a slight shrug.<p>

"It was nice. I had a really good time."

"What's wrong?" Patricia wondered, scooping a spoonful of grapefruit into her mouth.

He didn't bother to make a face at her snack and leaned against the counter, forgetting about his soda. "We went out to dinner. We talked. We laughed. We got along. I held her hand when I walked her home and kissed her at the door. We went on the classic date, and it was great."

His parents waited for him to continue.

"And it doesn't feel right."

"Are you sure it's not just nerves?" Eddie asked.

"No, I'm fine with her. After the first move, we just started rolling, but now…it doesn't feel like we're supposed to be doing this. And when we kissed…" he chuckled, dragging his fingers through his hair sharply.

* * *

><p>"I think we're using each other for the attention we give each other." Alice said honestly.<p>

"What?" Jenna breathed on the other line in disbelief. "But you guys just seem so perfect for each other!"

"It doesn't feel right, Jen."

"But…but what about the way you two feel about each other?"

"It's not like I'm in love with the guy." Alice smiled softly. "I don't think we'd work out if we forced this. I can tell, he knows that this isn't right. It's not going to happen."

* * *

><p>"I mean, I want it to." Justin breathed, sitting at the kitchen table. "But the more I think about it, the more I know we shouldn't do this. It could break us."<p>

"You like her right?" Patricia spoke up again.

* * *

><p>"I do like him, Jen, but I don't like him enough to go through with this if it's not right. We kissed and I could feel it; we're in it for the feeling of someone wanting us, not for each other. I don't want that."<p>

Jenna sighed heavily into the phone. "I'm sorry. I feel like this is my fault. I kind of pushed this on you guys."

"It's not your fault."

* * *

><p>Justin shrugged, disappointment obvious on his face. "It's just not meant to be."<p>

* * *

><p><strong>...<strong>

**Like I said before, I sink more ships than sail them in this story. I'm sorry.**

* * *

><p><strong>OKAY! I need y'all's opinions! <strong>

**Now, eventually, the Second Chances series is going to come to an end. I'm not going to be able to continue through the kids' lives until they have kids that can have problems to write about. **

**However, I've got tons of ideas for scenes that go way into the future. I don't think I'd want to post them here though. I don't have anywhere else to post them, unless I post them on Tumblr, though. **

**They'd be oneshots, possibly three-shots. Idk. Maybe, more. They'd probably be series of oneshots related or not, but I need to put them somewhere if I get an idea for my babies. **

**So let me know what you think I should do, post them on here or on Tumblr. If I did it on Tumblr, I'd have a blog ju****st for that, but you'll have to have a password to get into it. I've never made one of those password protected Tumblr blogs before, but I know they exist. :)**

**Don't worry though, Sink or Swim is far from over, and there's still another book to write. I probably won't continue it after the third though. :(**

**Anyway, review and let me know what you think! Xx**

* * *

><p><strong>#9: "Yeah, it's plain to see that, baby, you're beautiful and there's nothing wrong with you. It's me, I'm a freak, but thanks for loving me, 'cause you're doing it perfectly. There might have been a time when I would let you slip away. I wouldn't even try but I think you could save my life." -Whataya Want From Me, Adam Lambert <strong>

**-Rachel**


	25. Chapter 25

**Hey!**

**I've got the next chapter already written. Just to let you know. ;) **

**Did any of you listen to _All or Nothing_? What did you think? :D**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>"Heya," Michael smiled at Emily when she opened her apartment door. He kissed her cheek and walked in, setting his laptop case on the kitchen counter. "Now, I have a surprise for you, darling."<p>

"A surprise for me?" she asked, putting a kettle on the stove top and tightening her ponytail. "Would you like some tea?"

"Please," he nodded and unzipped a pocket of his laptop case, pulling out a letter. "So you're going to that school in London for zoology, no?"

She hummed a positive response and set two mugs on the counter, opening the pantry to get a box of tea bags.

"I'm going there too."

She turned to him with a confused expression. "For zoology?"

He chuckled and held the letter out, correcting her, "No, chiropractic."

She took the paper from him and unfolded it.

"I was accepted last week." He shrugged.

"That's great," she smiled brightly.

"Thanks to you. Without your tutoring, I wouldn't have passed."

She shook her head, pulling the kettle off the stove when it started to whistle. She poured the boiling water into the two mugs. "You would've found someone else."

"But I didn't. And I won't." he said, coming up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. He tucked his face into her neck.

"You came over here for something else." She responded, turning in his arms and handing him his tea.

He took it from her carefully and leaned down to kiss her. "I thought maybe we could split the cost of an apartment over there."

"You mean move in together?" she smirked knowingly.

"Whatever you want to call it, love." He murmured, letting go of her waist and pulling his laptop out of its case.

Emily stood next to him and waited for the website of apartments for rent to pop up.

"You okay with this?" he asked.

"It would help me financially if I split the cost with a roommate." She replied, eying the screen.

Michael grinned, scrolling through available apartments. She pointed to one.

"What about that one? It's close to the university."

"Looks nice," he commented. "Which bedroom would you want?"

"Which one do you want?"

"Well, I'll take the one you don't choose."

"Why?"

"Because I'm not going to take first pick."

"Who said anything about separate rooms." She demanded.

Michael blinked. "Well, I just assumed—"

"You wanna know what my grandfather always said about assuming?" she asked him, planting a hand on her hip.

"Um, sure," he chuckled, watching her walk off and bring back a small dry-erase board.

"We're going to have a spelling lesson." Emily smiled sweetly, uncapping a blue marker. She wrote on the board quickly and turned it around for him to see.

"I know how to spell 'assume'." He said softly with a smile.

"Do you really?" she retorted, turning it back to herself again and writing on it again. She showed him the whiteboard again and arched an eyebrow.

_(Ass)(u)(me)_

"Assuming makes an ass out of you and me."

Michael breathed out a laugh.

"We're sharing a room." She decided, leaving the whiteboard on the counter and moving the laptop over so she could examine the pictures of the two bedroom apartment.

"I've said it once and I'll say it again: you never cease to amaze me." He grinned, kissing her ear.

* * *

><p>"Triplets?" Jerome cried, rising from his chair beside the table in the doctor's office.<p>

"That's right. Congratulations. Would you like to know the genders?" Dr. O'Neil smiled, squeezing Mara's hand.

"Triplets – triplets, Mara – I—" He stopped, gripping onto the edge of the table for support. "My whole life just flashed before my eyes – I donated all of Gracie's baby things. I've got a minibus that only seats eight people. We're going to have to move everyone around because we can't have three babies sleeping in our room—"

"J, calm down." Mara said slowly. "We'll figure this out."

"I think I'm having a heart attack."

"What?" Mara nearly screeched.

"Mr. Clarke, I think you should sit down."

"No, I'm fine, I'm just going to have nine kids in a couple months." He rambled. "Nine kids. Darling, when I said I'd be willing to have forty kids with you, I confess, I was lying."

"I know," Mara smiled, "I'm really glad you were, but Jerome, please just take a deep breath."

He did what she said and squeezed his arm. "Okay, I can't feel my arm."

"I think you should see a doctor."

"No, I'll go later. I want to be here." He said with a shake of his head. He leaned over and pressed a kiss to her temple. "Would you like to know the genders, Clarke?"

"Yeah," Mara whispered and asked Dr. O'Neil to continue with the ultrasound.

"Okay," she smiled, "Let's see here…boy…girl…and another boy."

"Michael, Josh and Matty are going to be rubbing that in the girls' faces for the rest of their lives." Jerome mumbled.

"I'll print out a couple pictures for you." The doctor said and stood up from her seat. "I'll be right back."

Jerome took a deep breath and leaned forward on the table. He took Mara's hand and kissed the back of it. "I'm sorry for freaking out—"

"Oh, no, Jerome, I don't blame you. You've already had six kids. I would never expect you to be calm about finding out you're going to have triplets. We planned on one and we're getting three instead. I'm surprised too, it's okay." she assured him.

"I love you," he smiled softly, pressing his lips to hers.

"Can you please see a doctor about that heart attack you might've had?"

"Yeah, I'll go as soon as I get you home." He promised.

* * *

><p>Josh rolled over onto Alex's chest and lifted his hand to his wet hair. "You're getting my pillow wet."<p>

Alex snorted, cupping the back of his neck and bringing his lips down onto his shortly. "You okay?"

Josh shrugged, kissing his chin. "Yeah."

"You just seem kind of upset. You're not worried about Gracie are you?"

"No," he shook his head, one of his hands leaving Alex's hair. He dragged a finger down his forehead, over his nose, and to his lips where Alex nipped at it playfully. He dipped it down his chin to his neck, over his Adam's apple. As it drifted down his chest, Alex suddenly snatched his wrist and ran a thumb against the smooth skin covering his pulse.

"I wish I had your wrists. They're so flawless." He murmured.

Josh swallowed thickly and kissed his Adam's apple. "I wish I had your body."

Alex sat up, pushing his boyfriend off of him. "What?"

Josh sighed, ducking his head in embarrassment and scratching the back of his neck.

"Why would you want my body?"

"It's stupid."

Alex scrambled after him when he moved to get off the bed. He grabbed his hand and tugged. "It's not stupid. Tell me."

"No, it's stupid because I've never been insecure about my body." Josh scoffed, swiping a shaking hand through his dirty-blond hair. "I never cared because no one was going to see me naked. But now I'm dating you. And even before then, when I saw you without your shirt, I…" he laughed at himself. "This is so stupid!"

"No, it's not, Corazón." Alex said with a shake of his head, hurrying after him as he paced around the room. "It doesn't even matter—"

"Well, it matters to me. And I hate that because I don't want to feel like this."

"Is that why I'm always losing my shirt when we're making out while you're always fully clothed?"

Josh groaned, hitting his forehead against the wall.

Alex stepped up behind him and wrapped his arms around his waist, slipping his hands under his shirt. "I think you're sexy."

Josh scoffed.

"And it's not like you're fat." Alex chuckled. "You're skinny."

"I'm soft."

"You are built the way you're supposed to be built and I wouldn't have you any other way because I liked you like this before, so I'll like you like this now." Alex kissed the back of his neck, pulling Josh's shirt up over his head. "Just because I like keeping in shape, doesn't mean I need to date someone that does the same thing. You don't like to work out and that's who I like – your shoulder blades are amazing!"

Josh laughed, turning away from the wall. "What?"

"Like, I noticed them before through your jackets and shirts but holy shit! They're like Tom Hiddleston's shoulder blades!" He smirked and wrapped his arms around Josh's neck, resting their foreheads together. "That's enough for me, I don't mind if you don't have a six-pack or well-defined pecs or v-lines." He said in an exaggerated moan.

Josh nodded. "Okay."

"Okay? Don't be insecure about a body anyone would be wild about. Of course I'm the only one that matters."

"Of course," Josh said with a roll of his eyes. "And if I shouldn't be insecure about my body, then you shouldn't be insecure about your scars."

"They're ugly, Joshua." He whispered and he bit the inside of his cheek when his eyes blurred with tears.

"Granted, they're not exactly attractive, but they're one of the things that made me like you. Not because they were there or I was pitying you but because we barely knew each other and it must've been so hard for you to talk about them and you did." Josh said softly, turning his head to one of Alex's arm pressing a kiss to his harmed skin.

"I liked you." He shrugged with a teary chuckle. "I couldn't help it; I wanted you to know me."

"I'm really glad you did."

* * *

><p><strong>I had planned on Joshy having insecurities about his body for a long time and I'm not entirely happy with how the scene turned out, but it was sweet.<strong>

**Anyway, that thing about Jerome maybe having a heart attack...almost the exact same thing happened to my dad.**

* * *

><p><strong>Story: My mom and I were in the car, on the way home from the chiropractor and she was tagged in some challenge thing that was going around facebook. She had to post one of the things in the list that was sent to her as her status and then send the message to one of her friends. So. Because she was driving, she asked me to pick something. And me being me, I had to go with the most realistic thing possible. No one would believe that she stepped in puke in a McDonald's parking lot because we never go to McDonald's and if we do, we go through the drive-thru. She didn't find a hundred bucks on the sidewalk because she's not that lucky. But...the possibility of her getting pregnant wouldn't be much of a surprise because she's already had five kids! So I picked that one. ;) <strong>

**So the whole thing blows up all over facebook and everyone's congratulating her and stuff. And then about an hour later, my dad calls her. xD He had found out about the status through one of his friends at work, who had found out about it through his wife. He congratulated my dad at lunch and my dad was like, "what are you congratulating me for?" "The baby!" "What baby?" And my dad saw the status after getting on facebook real quick and he told us that his life had flashed before his eyes. He started thinking about the fact that he had donated all of the baby stuff, we had a van that only seats seven people, we live in a three bedroom house- it's cramped enough as it is, etc. Basically he had a pretty big scare. xD I didn't feel bad at all though- it was hilarious. **

**But my mom told everyone that it was fake and everyone got over it.**

**So yeah.**

**;)**

* * *

><p><strong>#10: "Do you really think you could see this through? Put on a smile and wear if for someone new? Don't you do it. 'Cause I know I'm not the easiest one to love, but every ounce I have, I invest in you. But no one said love's not for taking chances. So don't you ever forget about me. When you toss and turn in your sleep, I hope it's because you can't stop thinking about the reasons why you close your eyes. I haunt your dreams at night and so you can't stop thinking about me (can't stop thinking about me)." -Scene Four - Don't You Ever Forget About Me, Sleeping With Sirens<strong>

**I usually do just a couple lines, but that whole song just screams Jalex so I want to fit more into it, but this author's note is almost as long as the chapter. :/**

**-Rachel**


	26. Chapter 26

**Hey!**

**I just wanna say real quick that I am so happy right now! (Well, I was bummed yesterday because I won't go to Warped, and Juliet and BVB are playing but I am so terrified of crowds and teenagers and talking to people, and all of these things that make me hate myself but) Last night, Andy's grandmother was tested and the news that she has not a single cancer cell in her body has been released to the BVB army via instagram! I am so so so so so so happy for him and his family! They deserve to add more years, hugs, kisses, laughs and memories to their relationship! It is truly spectacular news, and I just started bawling, because I am so happy for him! I won't even let myself be envious that he gets to keep his grandmother for several more years! I'm just glad that she's okay! ****So, praise God for that one! I'm so happy right now! :D**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>"Are you sure you're okay?" Michael asked his father, leaning against the kitchen counter.<p>

"I'm fine." He shrugged. "I just had a minor heart attack."

Alice blinked up at him. "Daddy, you had a heart attack."

"You're all blowing this way out of proportion." He chuckled. "It was a minor heart attack."

"It was still a heart attack." Michael said slowly as Alice nodded along with his statement.

"Son, let me put it to you like this: I have six kids. Your mother and I planned on one more. We ordered _one_. We're getting _three_. You would have had a heart attack too."

Michael breathed out heavily.

"Triplets." Alice mumbled in disbelief with a shake of her head. "You have a strange kind of fertility luck, don't you, Daddy?"

Jerome sent her a halfhearted glare.

"Well, the bright side is that we don't have to fight over picking names." Mara piped in. "We have to decide on a girl name, a boy name, and then another boy name. That shouldn't be too hard."

Michael smirked at Alice.

She scoffed and rolled her eyes. "You know the genders could be a mistake, Mickey."

"Yeah, it could be three boys." He retorted.

"I told you." Jerome said to his wife, motioning to them.

"Well, lucky me, I won't be here to babysit them, Goldilocks."

"While you probably have to wait tables for minimum wage, I'll be making fifty pounds at least three times a week."

"It's not about the money." Jerome cut in.

"Alice, look at these names and tell me what you think." Mara said, sliding her notebook over the countertop.

Alice picked the notebook up and chewed on her lower lip thoughtfully. "I like Cheyenne, Tyler, and Marcus."

"Michael?" Mara raised her eyebrows in question and he looked over Alice's shoulder at the list.

"Um, I don't know."

"What would you name your kids?" Jerome asked.

"Dad, what if you guys named your kids what I would name my kids? Then I'd have to come up with new names."

"We might not even use your suggestions."

"I wouldn't name my kids any of these names."

"Then what would you name them?"

Michael sighed. "For a girl…I don't know, I like Erin. And for a boy…Jeremiah."

"Thank you." Mara smiled.

He shrugged with a light chuckle.

* * *

><p>Josh laughed at Alex as he stepped out of his house, wearing a heavy coat and a scarf. "What, are you cold?"<p>

"It's freezing!"

"It's seventy degrees!"

"I'm cold." Alex grumbled, stomping past him.

"Aw, poor baby," Josh cooed jokingly, grabbing his shoulders and kissing his ear.

"What was that for?" he smirked, backing closer to him. "That was a pretty risky kiss."

"Just warming you up." he murmured, letting go of his shoulders and moving to step around him, but Alex whipped his scarf off his neck and wrapped it around Josh's neck before he could get farther away. He pulled him into his chest and kissed him deeply.

"That was a really risky kiss."

"Are we still seeing that movie?" he asked.

"Nah," Josh shook his head.

"Alright," Alex grinned, tugging him back to the front door by the scarf.

* * *

><p>Justin smiled at Alice when she opened the front door of the Clarke's house and stepped out onto the porch. "Hey."<p>

"Hey."

He studied her for a moment before breathing in deeply. "This isn't going to work."

Alice's smile tightened a little. "No, it's not."

He chuckled a little, scuffing the heel of his boot against the porch. "Well it was fun while it lasted."

"For three days." She retorted.

"It was a pretty good three days."

"It just didn't feel like…"

"We like wanted each other for each other." He shrugged. "We just liked the way our bodies responded to one another's."

"Exactly," she nodded.

"Maybe now, after we got this out of the way, we can try being friends. Actual friends."

"I could give it a shot."

Justin's teasing grin lowered back to a gentle smile as he closed the distance between them. She cupped his neck as he leaned down, gripping her waist, and kissing her gently. When they broke away, he jogged down the steps and turned to her, saluting.

"Barbie."

"Slacker." She returned the salute and flashed him a wink before entering the house with a content feeling draping over her.

* * *

><p>Danni gave Leo a gentle shove toward Fiona. "Go!" she hissed.<p>

Leo nodded, making his way to her on the other side of the hallway. "Fiona?"

"Hey, Leo," she smiled brilliantly, closing her locker.

"Listen, I-I was wondering—"

"Fiona!"

Leo clenched his eyes shut when he was interrupted by Natalie Bennis.

Fiona turned to Natalie and spoke before her drama friend could continue. "Could you give me a second?"

"Oh, yeah, sure!" the bubbly blonde said bouncing on her heals excitedly.

Fiona took Leo's hand and led him away from Natalie and into the stairwell. "I'm sorry, you keep getting interrupted. What were you wondering?"

Leo took a deep breath. "Promise you won't laugh at me?"

"Only if you want me to." She assured him.

"I…" he drifted off, studying her for a moment. "I really like you, Fiona. I have for a long, long time. And I was wondering if you would like to go out with me sometime? Like…on a date?"

Fiona smiled softly. "Yeah, I'd love to go out with you, Leo."

Leo grinned. "Really?"

"Really," she giggled. "Call me, okay? I've got to go to rehearsal."

He nodded happily and pumped his fist as she walked away, shooting two thumbs up in Danni's direction. She returned them with a proud smile.

* * *

><p><strong>#11: "Hold me close, hold me tight. Make me thrill with delight. Let me know where I stand from the start. I want you, I need you, I love you, with all my heart." -I Want You, I Need You, I Love You by Elvis Presley<strong>

**-Rachel**


	27. Chapter 27

**Hey!**

**Who wants to go to Warped Tour in Maryland Heights, Missouri with me in July? No one? Okay.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Sarah shrieked when she felt herself falling backwards after having run into someone, but their arm reached out and wrapped around her waist to steady her.<p>

"Crap, Sarah, are you okay?" Jacob laughed. "We just keep running into each other."

She giggled, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. "I'm sorry, I wasn't watching where I was going."

"It's alright. It was partially my fault; I was daydreaming." He smirked, running a hand through his brown hair. "Where were you headed?"

"Coffee shop," she shrugged.

"I was too, as soon as I give my mom her purse. She left it at home and she's in the grocery store without any way of paying." He sighed and tilted his head toward the store. "Walk with me?"

"Sure," she blushed a little and followed him to the store. When they walked in, they saw KT standing in a checkout lane, smiling awkwardly at the tired look cashier.

"Hey, mom," Jacob grinned, handing her the bag.

"Jacob Samuel Reed…" she began warningly.

He raised his hands in surrender.

"Hi, Sarah."

"Hey, Mrs. Reed." Sarah smiled.

"There you go. I'm so sorry for this whole thing." KT gushed as she paid for the groceries.

"I'll be at the coffee shop, mom." Her son called as he took Sarah's arm in his hand and led her back out of the store.

"You shouldn't tease your mum so much." Sarah scolded.

"It's too much fun to tease moms. You can't tell me you don't tease your mom."

Sarah avoided his eyes and he chuckled.

"You hypocrite." He stopped and swallowed. "Hey, Sarah?"

"Yes?" she looked up at him expectantly.

"What are you doing this weekend?"

She shrugged a shoulder. "Nothing, why?"

"Would you like to go out on a date with me?"

Sarah's heart leaped in her chest and she nodded shyly.

* * *

><p>"Hey, you okay?" Josh asked when Alex walked into his bedroom.<p>

He sighed deeply, rubbing his shoulder with a pained expression on his face. "I think I pulled a muscle in my back."

"How'd you do that?"

He dropped his backpack onto Josh's bed and sat down with a soft groan of pain. "Well, my swim coach, Will, asked me to give the butterfly a try. I don't swim butterfly! But he thought it could be a hidden strength or something, so I did it. I did fine, he thinks I should do it more often, and on my way home, my shoulders start killing me!"

"Here, let me see." Josh kneeled behind him on the mattress and squeezed his shoulders firmly, rubbing his thumbs into his back in small circles.

Alex ground out a throaty moan, arching his back. "Holy shit, where'd you learn how to do this?"

"My dad's a chiropractor, baby."

"Yeah, but not a masseuse! Oh my, God…" he rolled his neck on his shoulders.

Josh chuckled with a roll of his blue eyes and kissed his boyfriend's temple, kneading his shoulders slowly.

"You're not going to go into chiropractic, are you?"

"No," he shook his head, grazing his teeth against Alex's ear. "I can't stand the sound of joints popping."

He laughed. "That's the only reason?"

"The only reason."

"That's a shame – wait!"

"What, did I hurt you?"

"No, just do that again." He ordered quickly, shuddering when Josh dug his thumb into a spot on his spine. "Fuck, Corazón…"

"Is that a good spot?"

"I'm pretty sure you found a sweet spot I didn't know existed. Weird. I didn't know sweet spots could be on your back." He mumbled and tilted his head back a little so he could see him. "Like you with the spot behind your ear. Or when you lick my right ear."

"Oh, that's right, it's the _right_ ear." Josh grinned, moving his head to the other side of Alex's so he could nip at his right ear.

Alex chuckled as a shiver dropped down his spine and reached back to wrap his arms around Josh's neck. "Oh, damn, the things you do to me."

"Hey, you wanna stay over tonight and play video games?"

"I don't play video games." He sang.

"I know, that's what we'd tell my parents."

"And what's the truth?"

"How about a date? We haven't done one of those in a while."

"We've only had one."

"Technically."

Alex grinned. "Yeah, I could stay over."

* * *

><p>"Hey, guys," Eric smiled, walking up to the table in the coffee shop.<p>

"Hi, Eric," Louisa greeted with a small wave.

"Mind if I sit?"

Leo and Fiona shook their heads in response while Danni narrowed her jade green eyes at him suspiciously.

"What?" he chuckled, meeting her gaze.

"Why are you here?"

"I don't really have any friends since I left. They've all moved and stuff. I know you guys though, and I'm no longer a dick, so I thought maybe I could hang out with you guys." He shrugged.

"Oh, hi, Eric," Sarah said in slight surprise when she stopped at the table.

"Hey," he jerked his head back and scoot over when Louisa and Fiona made room for her and Jacob as he came to the table with two coffees.

"So what's going on?" he asked,

"Eric's going to start hanging out with us." Fiona explained.

"Welcome to the gang." He said with a short nod.

"Thanks."

"Are Josh and Alex here?" Sarah asked.

"Alex isn't a part of this." Louisa mumbled, swiping a hand through her short hair.

"Josh is trying to beat some level in a new game of his." Leo answered.

"And I think Alex has swim practice or something." Danni shrugged.

* * *

><p>"Everyone's asleep, so just be quiet." Josh hissed, taking Alex's hand and leading him down the stairs to the first floor. He dragged him into the kitchen and opened one of the cabinets, picking out two mugs. He set them on the counter and motioned to the refrigerator. "Get something to eat."<p>

While Josh got to work on making them some hot chocolate, Alex whistled. "You've got stuff for strawberry short cake in here. That's one of my favorite deserts. That's what we're having."

Josh chuckled. "Whatever you want, baby."

Alex proceeded to scoop strawberries and cool whip onto sliced angel food cake. He jumped when Josh walked by him to get the cocoa mix and he turned to him with a grin. "You just smacked my butt!"

"Keep your voice down." He hissed.

Alex giggled a little. "Do that more often, I like it."

Josh dragged a hand through his hair and set the filled mugs on the counter next to the strawberry short cake. Alex stepped up to him and wrapped his arms around his neck, bringing him in for a deep kiss, backing up until his back connected with the refrigerator. He hissed a little at the sting in his upper back but the pain was quickly forgotten when Josh's hands slid under his t-shirt.

"Stop that, I'm cold." He murmured against his cheek.

Josh smirked, pulled away, and shrugged out of his sweatshirt, handing it over to him.

Alex smiled happily, pulling the sweatshirt over his head. He looked down at the sleeves and chuckled. "How are your arms longer than mine?"

"They're not, I just like baggy sweatshirts." He told him, nodding his head to their desert. "Come on, hot chocolate is just chocolate milk when it's cold."

Alex followed him up the stairs and back into his room. They sat on the rug at the foot of his bed and Alex immediately set to finding an appropriate song to play. He picked one and took his mug from Josh, sipping the beverage as he stabbed and mixed his strawberry short cake.

"That's right, go ahead and mutilate it." Josh laughed.

"I like eating it like this." Alex said with a roll of his eyes. He smirked and sat up, crawling over to Josh. "…_The birds start to fly for cover, and the children stop to look up_…"

Josh scoffed when he began singing, off-key, and laid back a little, arching an eyebrow at him.

"_Time won't wait, can you feel it now? Stuck in a daze, can you hear the sound—?_"

"Quiet, baby," the blond whispered.

"—_Slipping away as it's coming down. I don't care if nothing is the same, just kiss me before it rains..." _Alex sighed in content as Josh cupped his face and pulled him down to kiss him again. "Oh, my Corazón, I wouldn't trade you for the world."

* * *

><p><strong>#12: "I've been lonely, I've been waiting for you. I'm pretending and that's all I can do. The love I'm sending, ain't making it through to your heart. You've been hiding, never letting it show. Always trying to keep it under control. You got it down and you're well on the way to the top. But there's something that you forgot. What about love? Don't you want someone to care about you? What about love? Don't let it slip away. What about love? I only wan to share it with you. You might need it someday." -What About Love?, Heart <strong>

**Only now have I realized how significant that song is to the Josh and Alex story... *-***

**-Rachel**


	28. Chapter 28

**Hey!**

**Vote on my poll if you haven't already! I'll be taking it down on Sunday, regardless if it's still got tied votes! **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Josh looked at Alex through the bathroom mirror when Alex walked in and shut the door behind him. He cuddled Ozzy to his chest and kissed the top of the feline's head, leaning back on the door. "What are you doing in here?" Josh asked with a small sigh.<p>

"Why can't I be in here?" Alex responded, moving closer to him. He set Ozzy on the counter and wrapped his arms around Josh's waist, sliding his palms up to his bare chest.

"Today's a school day." He said, squeezing toothpaste onto his toothbrush. "If someone wants to use the bathroom, and I have to step out, what are they going to say?"

"I don't know. Ask you why you're coming out of a bathroom and not a closet?"

"Har, har."

Alex chuckled, tucking his face into Josh's neck, and kissing the base of his neck. Ozzy trotted over to them on the counter and Alex picked him up gently, holding him in front of Josh as he began brushing his teeth. "Isn't Snowball the cutest?"

"Hi, Snowball," Josh mumbled around his toothbrush.

Alex tightened one of his arms around Josh's waist when he bent over a little to spit into the sink. "You know what else is cute?"

"What?" he mumbled, unscrewing the cap of his mouthwash.

"The way your ears turn red when I touch you."

Josh sighed through his nose, swishing the liquid in his mouth. He jerked his thumb back at the door.

"On one condition."

"What?" he said as he straightened. He picked Ozzy up off his shirt and made a sound of annoyance at the white hair on his dark blue polo.

"Tell me," he began, resting his chin on Josh's shoulder, "do we make a good looking couple, or do we make a good looking couple?"

Josh shrugged. "We look fine."

"No, that's not what you're supposed to say!" Alex whined.

"What am I supposed to say?" He laughed.

"Say that we make a good looking couple."

Josh sighed and arched an eyebrow at him through the mirror. "We make a good looking couple."

"I know right?" He kissed his cheek and grabbed Ozzy. "Alright, I'll leave now."

"Thank you."

* * *

><p>Mara looked up from her papers and smiled at Jerome when he entered the dining room. "Good morning, Mr. Clarke."<p>

"Mrs. Clarke," he smirked, leaning down to kiss her and then sitting at the head of the table. He rested his cheek on his fist and sighed softly.

"What's wrong?" she chuckled.

"Nothing's wrong." He said with a shake of his head. He scooted his chair closer to hers. "Has Josh ever mention having a girlfriend? Or liking someone?"

"No, I don't think so. Why?"

"Well, I told the kids that they can start dating at fifteen. Louisa's already out hitting up guys. I mean, I never thought that Josh would be doing that because he never showed any interest in wanting to be in a relationship with anyone." He chuckled. "The only reason I'm confused is that I had told him that sometime when he was fifteen, he was going to meet a person that would just turn his whole world upside down. I wonder if he met that person."

"He does seem happier lately. Not all the time though." Mara added, tapping her pen against the tabletop.

"Well you can't expect someone to make a depressed person happy all the time."

"Maybe he's just not in that place in his life yet." She shrugged. "Or maybe he just doesn't want to tell us because he knows you'll tell him you told him so."

"Yeah, he could be seeing someone, I guess." Jerome murmured.

* * *

><p>"Did you like the restaurant? I picked the best one. Well, that I could afford." Leo said sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck.<p>

Fiona looked up at him briefly as they walked down the sidewalk to her house. She squeezed his hand. "It was lovely, Leo. Don't worry so much. I had a wonderful time!"

"Really? Seriously?"

"Really, seriously," Fiona giggled. She pulled her house key out of her purse when they reached her porch and turned to him. "Thank you for walking me home."

"Well, it's dark. You need someone to protect you. I know Tae Kwon Do." He reminded her, striking a pose with his hands poised in front of him.

Fiona smiled, unlocking her door. "Thank you, Leo."

"Can we do it again?" he asked when she opened her door.

"Absolutely." She nodded her head. She stepped into her house and then turned back to him, placing her hand on his shoulder and standing on her toes so she could kiss him. "Good night, Leo."

He stood there with wide eyes and a face splitting grin, his hand barely waving at his side. When the door closed he laughed, pumping his fist, jumping off the porch. He stumbled a little and locked his fingers behind his head, backing onto the sidewalk as he stared up at the house. "You did it! Dude, you did it! She kissed you!" He cheered and took off running down the street.

* * *

><p>Alex looked up from Ozzy and Josh looked away from his video game briefly when someone knocked on Josh's bedroom door rapidly.<p>

"Josh, I need to talk to you!" Leo called from the other side.

Alex stood up and opened the door. "Do you need me to leave again?"

"No, no, you can stay!" he grinned, rushing into the room.

Alex sat down on the floor beside Josh's bean bag again and rolled Ozzy onto his back. The kitten purred happily when Alex rubbed his belly.

"I've got fantastic news!"

"Juliet Simms is having a European Tour?"

"I don't think that's his good news, Alex." Josh said, putting his controller down when the match ended. He looked up at his best friend expectantly.

"Well, that's my idea of fantastic news." His boyfriend murmured, pulling Ozzy into his arms as he leaned back on Josh's bed.

"My date with Fiona went great!"

"Good—"

"And she kissed me! Fiona Rutter kissed me!"

Josh chuckled. "Congrats, mate."

"Best night of my life! I couldn't be happier!" He jumped again and pumped his fists. "Dude, this is the best thing ever! If I died tonight, I'd die a happy kid!"

"Well, don't die." Josh replied.

"Oh, no, I won't." he said with a shake of his head. "Anyway, I've got to get home. It's almost curfew."

"Look both ways before you cross the street," Josh called as he left the room.

"Don't worry, I will!"

Alex shot a glance back at the open door and leaned over, pecking Josh's cheek. "I've got to get home too. See you tomorrow."

"Alright," Josh nodded, starting another match.

* * *

><p><strong>I don't want to admit this, but I'm running out of ideas. x( Send 'em in if you want to see a certain something! I can't promise that I'll include it, but I'll give you cred if I use it. Xx<strong>

**#13: "Don't you try to pretend it's my feelings, we'll win in the end. I won't harm you or touch your defenses. Vanity and security. Don't you forget about me, I'll be alone, dancing, you know it, baby. Going to take you apart, I'll put us back together at heart, baby." -Don't You (Forget About Me), Simple Minds**

**-Rachel**


	29. Chapter 29

**So...sorry for disappearing. I'm not totally okay right now. I'm going through some crap so I'm not totally...happy...right now. :/ **

**Sorry for taking so long with this chapter.**

**Um, the first part of this is just... Well, my dad and I went grocery shopping yesterday and I just wrote that...**

**Idk if Brits have warehouse stores or anything else I mention in here, but we Americans do. One of those warehouse stores are called Costco and it's huge and has shelves and piles of food in huge boxes. It's for large families, so that's why the Clarkes shop there.**

* * *

><p>"Here, hold this," Jerome said, handing Alice his membership card to the warehouse store while he straightened his tie, pushing the cart through the wide door.<p>

Alice flashed the card at the man that stood near the doorway with a small smile and he nodded, thanking her in response. She handed it back to Jerome and he slid it into his jacket pocket. His eyes flitted to the side of the space cleared for customers to walk and stopped the cart.

"Those are cups we need," he murmured. "Watch the cart."

He left Alice and walked up to the stacks of packaged cups. He lifted the one on display, looked into it, and set it down a little harder than he needed to. He returned to Alice and pushed the cart forward once again. "Yep."

Alice chuckled, looking up at him. "_Those are cups we need. Here, watch the cart. _Pick it up, look at it, like it, and you don't get them?"

"I don't have twenty pounds for six cups per box," He scoffed.

Alice shook her head and followed him through the store, watching him as he dropped things into the cart, and then marked them off of the list of groceries the family needed.

He stopped next to boxes of grapes that were stacked in the refrigerator that was as big as their living room, dining room, and kitchen combined, and turned to her. "Do we have any grapes?"

Alice looked up at the ceiling in thought and then hesitantly shrugged her shoulders. "I don't think so."

He hummed carefully as he set a box in the basket. He steered the cart out of the produce section and nodded a head to the fruit across from them. "Go get a bag of oranges."

Alice walked away as he rolled the cart feet away to packaged water bottles. He lifted a pack onto the wrack below the basket as Alice gently dropped the oranges into the baby seat over the basket.

He continued down the aisle, leaving Alice with the cart, and she rolled her eyes, pushing the cart with a little effort before she had a steady speed. She leaned to the side, pulling heavily on the bar to turn the cart around the corner into another aisle. She tugged the cart to a halt and Jerome loaded it with three gallons of milk. He stared at the refrigerators of dairy products and then chose on of them, pulling out a carton of eggs.

He began walking again, but stopped abruptly and changed his direction, which caused Alice to bump his thigh with the front of the cart. He breathed in deeply, arching an eyebrow at her in annoyance.

"Sorry," she hissed, hunching her shoulders a little in guilt. "But you stepped in front of me – you cut me off – it's not my fault!"

"Yeah, yeah," he ignored her explanation with a wave of his hand and went on his way down the aisle. She followed him with a huff and hurried to stop the cart when he paused beside a tray of rice samples an employee was setting out. He smiled as he took one and scooped some of the rice into his mouth. He nodded his head in approval.

He offered his daughter a spoonful and she shook her head when the aroma made her eyes water.

"Come on, try it," he urged.

Alice sighed, biting the rice off of the spork. She shrugged a shoulder and matched his approval with a hum as she chewed. She swallowed and continued pushing the cart after him. "That is pretty good; I thought it was going to be spicy."

"Nah, it's fine," Jerome smirked, dropping the cup into a garbage bin. He motioned to some products stacked on levels of cardboard boxes. "Go get a bottle of syrup." As she walked off, he took the cart.

She lifted a bottle of the maple syrup off of the top and turned to follow her father. She walked after him, reaching forward to put the bottle into the cart, but he turned around another tower of boxes. "Dad," She scoffed and tried again, but he turned the next corner of the square it made. "Daddy," she exclaimed. "What are you—?" She groaned and he did the same thing again, circling the boxes. When he finally turned into another aisle, she was able to put the bottle in the cart. He laughed when she sent him a glare.

"You're so mean."

"What do you mean," he chuckled.

"You went around in circles on purpose!"

Jerome rolled his eyes and stopped the cart to grab a box of pizza rolls. "The first time around I just wanted to see what was in those jars, but then it just got funny."

Alice crossed her arms over her chest and followed him down the aisle. As a mother and her son walked by them, the snack they were munching on caught her eye. She silently hoped that the wonderful aroma she could smell was a sample and not just the packaged cinnamon raisin bread they were passing. But when she saw the sample table around the corner, her hopes vanished and she made a face of disgust at the almond and craisin cookies.

Jerome looked up and down the aisle at the many different kinds of cereal. "Now, what kind of cereal can I get that none of you will eat?"

"What," Alice laughed in confusion.

"Get a box of that Raisin Bran," He instructed her.

She sighed and grabbed one of the family size boxes of cereal, setting it in the cart when he picked up another one.

"Whole Grain Cheerios," He grinned. "Perfect."

* * *

><p>"We should head back before it starts raining," Josh said, grabbing for Alex's hand when thunder rumbled across the sky.<p>

"I don't want to. If we go back to your house, we'll have to hide again, and if we go back to my house, my mom won't leave us alone," He pouted as water sprinkled down upon them.

Josh stood silently for a few seconds before smirking. "You better run because I'm going to drag you back to my place."

Alex walked away from him with a shake of his head, but when Josh reached out to grab his arm, he bolted toward a tree and Josh chased after him.

"Come on, Josh, we never get to be a couple—I like being alone," He said, darting around the tree. "However, being a couple around everyone else would be nice too."

Josh tapped his shoulder. "Tag, you're it."

Alex laughed, tagging him and running into the rain.

"No fair tag backs," Josh hollered, wrapping his hand around Alex's arm and turning him around. He smirked. "Got you," He tilted his head up a little so their lips met.

Alex lifted his hands to Josh's hair, pushing his fingers through his wet bangs and winding his arms around his neck. When they broke away, he turned his head but leaned into Josh's kisses against his wet, flushed cheek. He breathed in deeply, a chill going down his spine that had nothing to do with the rain and everything to do with Josh's tongue on his Adam's apple.

"Do I take your breath away," Josh mumbled teasingly against his skin.

"Don't you know it," Alex hissed.

"Don't worry, baby, we'll tell everyone soon, I just like having you all to myself right now," Josh said, threading his fingers into Alex's drenched wavy hair. "I promise we will."

* * *

><p><strong>#14: "But I'll break my silence, if I believed that you and me could ever be, more than just what's been behind us. I tried and left, they came and went, I got rejected out again. But no one believes me. I've worn a hundred faces, of the character replacements and now, nobody sees me." -White Balloons, Sick Puppies<strong>

**-Rachel**


	30. Chapter 30

**Oh my, Jinxx. Literally 25 more chapters left of this story. ;-;**

**A guest suggested the first half of this chapter. :)**

* * *

><p>Emily laughed, covering her mouth, watching <em>Abbot and Costello<em> argue on her TV screen. She let her other hand continue gliding through Michael's blond hair as his head lay in her lap. He breathed out in content, eyes closed, and he blindly reached up and grasped her wrist in his hand. He pulled her hand away from her mouth and placed it on his chest, over his heavily beating heart.

"Darling," he murmured.

She hummed in acknowledgement but didn't take her attention away from Costello as he comically removed a suitcase out from under a pile of others, which collapsed on top of him.

"We need to talk about sharing a bed," Michael opened his eyes, and he knew she understand what he meant by the way her cheeks warmed at the thought. He smiled up at her fondly and sat up, shifting to sit close beside her and wrap an arm around her shoulders. He played with the shoulder of her long-sleeve _Avengers_ t-shirt and kissed her cheek.

"What about it," she asked, reluctantly pausing the movie that she could have used as a distraction.

"Well, it's just that I don't want you feeling like you have to do anything you don't want to. You don't have to feel pressured into anything," he said, taking her hand in his hand and entwining their fingers in her lap.

Emily didn't reply, and she didn't meet his eyes, silently admitting to him that what he had suggested was what she had been thinking.

He didn't want to speak again. He rested his forehead against her temple and brushed his thumb across her pale knuckles.

"You don't mind waiting until I'm ready," she whispered, her emerald orbs flitting to his blue ones suddenly.

"I'll wait as long as you want me to," he promised.

She nodded in response and the shaking of her hands suddenly ceased.

"What are the boundaries," Michael inquired.

"Boundaries?"

"Yeah, what are you comfortable with?"

"Why don't we just cross that bridge when we come to it," Emily suggested, starting the movie again.

* * *

><p>Jerome smirked back at Mara and she slapped his arm teasingly as they walked into the house. They stopped in the foyer when they heard music coming from the common room.<p>

_Sometimes when I think of your name, and it's only a game, and I need you. Listening to the words that you say, getting harder to stay, when I see you. All I needed was the love you gave, all I needed for another day. All I never knew, only you…_

"This song is so stupid, I hate it. A cheesy, '80's love song, are you kidding me," Josh said.

Jerome's eyebrows drew together. "Does Josh have someone over," he whispered.

Mara shrugged silently.

Her husband grinned. "Let's watch."

"Jerome," she began quietly as he peeked into the room, and then he grabbed her arm. He pointed to the room and she shook her head, looking at what he was pointing at.

Josh lay on his side, on the sofa, facing the opposite wall, and his legs entangled with Alex's as his boyfriend lay half under him.

"I like this song," Alex laughed.

"Let me have the remote, Alex."

"Not unless you kiss me," he replied stubbornly.

Josh huffed, dropping his head onto Alex's chest, but then raising his head and pecking his lips. "Now give me the remote."

"I don't see why you didn't just take it," Alex smirked, taking the remote out of the back pocket of his jeans. "Nothing's stopped you from touching my ass before."

Josh rolled his eyes. "What else do you have on your iPod?"

"No, this is a playlist," Alex informed him.

"Oh my, god, you made a playlist about us didn't you, you sap," Josh groaned, clicking the skip button. "Oh no—" he clicked the button again. "No—" he pressed it again.

_Get up, it's a minute to midnight, and we've got the whole world coming after us. So we're running and running, oh. And your eyes are the color of wanting, and my heart it the runaway paper, and our hands seducing them to coincide. _

"Are you joking right now," he demanded, pressing the button again.

Alex chuckled, leaning up and kissing Josh's neck, moving down to his collar bones.

Josh turned the music off and tossed the remote onto the sofa across from them. "You are an idiot, I hate you, and – Alexander Sabastian, get your hand off my—" Josh froze when Jerome cleared his throat noisily.

Without missing a beat, Josh jumped off Alex and backed away from the couch, running a hand through his blond hair. "You guys weren't supposed to be home until nine."

"It is nine, Honey," Mara said.

Josh sent a glare Alex's way but looked away instantly. He mentally cursed his boyfriend in his head. "You were supposed to tell me when it was nine."

"How do you expect me to watch a clock and enjoy your mouth on my neck at the same time," Alex retorted.

Josh swallowed thickly.

"We don't mind, Buddy," Jerome stated.

His head whipped up and looked at his father with an involuntary sigh of relief. "Really?"

"Of course not, Honey, as long as you're happy and being who you are," Mara assured him, crossing the room so she could hug him.

"You're not disappointed," he asked, squeezing Mara tightly.

"No," Jerome said with a shake of his head. "I always knew."

"You knew," Alex laughed, sitting up and folding his hands behind his head.

"Josh had a crush on Aladdin when he was seven—"

"I did not," Josh interrupted.

"Oh my god, I'm Aladdin; black hair, brown eyes, tan skin—"

"I'd dump you for Aladdin," Josh said bluntly, which caused Alex to look up at him with fake hurt.

Jerome continued, "And last week, when Alex stayed over to _play video games_, I found you guys making out against the fridge after everyone went to sleep…"

"Oh dear, lord…" Josh hissed, covering his face with his hands.

"I knew there was something off about that night," Alex mumbled.

"Alex, would you like to stay for dinner," Mara smiled.

"Sure, thanks, Mrs. Clarke," he nodded with a smile of his own.

* * *

><p><strong>So, the songs that I have lyrics for in this chapter are <em>Only You<em> by _The Flying Pickets_ and _To Die For_ by **_**Automatic Loveletter.**_** ;)**

**#15: "Tonight, we're alive for the very first time. Tonight, we arrive 'cause there's nowhere to hide. Don't give up on me now (baby, don't close your eyes), I won't let you down, when we come back to life. Twinkle of the stars, the pictures live forever on the dashboard. My guts are knots, my bones are rocks, am I here alone? I've taken out the brakes so you can see that I won't stop, until you have gotten through to me. You hang up, on the run, could it be that you're coming home?" -Back To Life, Automatic Loveletter**

**That is one of my all time favorite AutoLove songs. It's so powerful. Wow. And as always, these songs are describing Josh and Alex's relationship. :)**

**-Rachel**


	31. Chapter 31

**Hey!**

**Go vote on the new poll on my profile! I'll be starting a new story soon! **

**Also if you've read any of my other in progress stories (_A Love Like War, Like a Knife, The Fog, The Worthy One, The Silent Scream _or _So Close Yet So Far_), or even if you haven't yet, go read them and let me know what you think and if you've got any ideas, let me know! I build off of ideas I get, whether they come from you or a movie I watch or whatever. So when I start losing inspiration, it's because I haven't got any ideas to build off of, or it's not time to build off of them and I need more ideas. ;)**

**I won't be starting the new story until after I finish _A Love Like War_ though. I've got 9 more chapters to go, I think. **

**TooBusyBeingAnAwkoTaco suggested the scene in the alley. ;)**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>"The party is here," Alex grinned, sliding into the booth beside Josh.<p>

"Alex Burke," the woman behind the counter called.

He hung his head and groaned. "Hold on, I'll be back."

Josh chuckled, watching him walk away, until his view was blocked by Eric. Then he sat next to Josh and leaned back on the cushion with a smirk.

"This booth is getting smaller," Jacob commented.

"That's my seat," Alex stated, holding a mug of steaming green tea.

Eric looked up and arched an eyebrow. "Does it have your name on it?"

"No, but I sit next to Joshy."

"I told you, Gracie calls me Joshy. Stop it," He grumbled, scratching behind his ear as the tip of it began to warm.

"And I told you that Gracie told me that she doesn't mind, _Joshy_," Alex smirked.

"Why do you need to sit next to him," Eric challenged.

Alex's Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed, taking a moment too long to think of an excuse. He met Eric's eyes defiantly. "Because LouLou is at the other end of the booth and there's no chance in hell I'm sitting next to her."

Eric shrugged. "Fine, then."

He got up and brushed past Alex to sit next to Louisa and Alex took the space beside Josh. Alex gently blew on his beverage as the teens fell back into the conversation he had interrupted. He looked up Eric and gave him a calculating look. "Who are you?"

"Eric Stanley," He replied. "You?"

"Alex Burke," He said, reaching a hand across the table to shake his. "Aren't you the Eric Stanley that dated Danielle over there?"

Eric cast a glance in her direction. She met it for a moment before rolling her eyes and turning back to Fiona. He looked back at Alex. "Yep."

Alex grinned. "What'd she do to you after you…what was it? Disappeared?"

"She wasn't as mean about it as I thought she would be. All parts are still intact."

"Good, good, I wouldn't wish that kind of pain on anyone," He said, discreetly moving his hand off of his thigh and onto Josh's under the table. "So do you play any sports, or does your figure come from a gym?"

"Military school," Eric answered, gliding a hand through his brown hair.

Alex hummed in interest and slid his hand further up Josh's thigh. Josh gulped, his heart pounding in his chest, and swiped his thumb across the screen of his phone to unlock it, distracting himself with a level of Geometry Dash. "Are you going to join the military when you graduate," Alex asked Eric calmly.

"Oh, no, my dad sent me to the school because I crashed his car."

Alex was about to respond but Josh's knee jerked up suddenly and banged against the table. Alex removed his hand from Josh's thigh and he lifted his tea to his mouth, smiling behind the mug.

"Josh, are you okay," Louisa asked.

"Yeah," he murmured. "My leg just fell asleep."

"Well, banging it against the table isn't going to wake it up," Danni said.

"I don't exactly have this problem very often, so I don't know how to take care of it."

"You need to take a walk; get the blood flowing again," Sarah spoke up.

"Alright, Alex, move," Josh ordered.

Alex slid out of the booth and let Josh out. "I'll come with you. My mom needs some things from the store anyway."

"When did she ask you to get these things?"

"At least three hours ago."

"Later, guys," Leo waved.

Josh saluted him as they walked out and the friends spread out a little in the booth.

"Josh forgot his phone," Fiona pointed out, motioning to the device beside his cup of coffee.

"I'll catch up with them and give it to him," Eric volunteered. "I'm helping my dad fix up his car."

Danni stared at him blankly when he winked at her, and he turned and left the building.

Eric's eyes swept down the sidewalk when he was outside, searching for Alex and Josh, but they were nowhere to be seen. Shrugging, he walked down the street, assuming that he would find them around the corner of the next building. He indifferently glanced down an alleyway as he passed it, but stopped abruptly, taking several steps backwards until he could see down the alley again. He stepped lightly against the concrete until he was right next to Josh and Alex.

Alex had Josh pinned against a brick wall, his leg pushed between Josh's thighs, and his hands under Josh's shirt while Josh's long fingers gripped onto Alex's shoulders tightly.

He smirked, scratching the back of his neck. "That's one way to get blood flowing."

Josh forcefully pushed Alex away from him, breaking their kiss. His back bumped against the brick wall and his boyfriend stumbled a little in surprise. Josh huffed and puffed, covering his mouth with his hands in absolute shock of being caught with Alex's lips pressed against his. Alex could only stand a few feet away from him with his mouth hanging open, as if he couldn't believe it either.

"I knew there was something weird about you two."

"Weird," Alex demanded snippily.

"I didn't mean it that way," Eric assured him. "I mean that you two just don't act like friends. 'I sit next to Joshy.' 'My leg fell asleep.' Yeah right."

Josh's cheeks burned when Eric began to laugh.

"You forgot your phone, mate," He said, handing it to him.

Josh shakily took it from him and slipped it into his pocket.

"So you two are still closeted, I'm guessing?"

Alex nodded. "Yeah. Sort of. His parents, his baby sister, and my mom know."

"And now me."

"Don't say anything," Josh pleaded.

"Alright," he shrugged.

"Thanks," Alex voiced. He stepped up to his boyfriend. "See, Corazón, everything's okay."

"Leave me alone," Josh scoffed, pushing his shoulders.

"I've got to go get my mom's groceries. Text you later," He pecked Josh's cheek and turned to Eric. "Nice meeting you by the way."

"Yeah, you too, mate."

"Thanks," Josh mumbled, stepping around him and leaving the alley.

* * *

><p>"Fresh produce," Alex cheered, lifting bags into the kitchen. He froze and dropped the bags, reaching out to touch his mother's shoulder as she sat at the table with her face in her hands. "Mom?"<p>

She looked up at him tiredly and coughed into the back of her hand. "Can you get me a glass of water?"

Alex nodded quickly, taking a glass off of the drying wrack on the counter and filling it from the sink. He handed it to her and lowered himself onto his knees beside her chair.

Shakily, Lily took a small sip from the glass. "I just couldn't breathe for a second."

"Are you okay now?"

She nodded once, pushing herself to stand on weak legs. "Are you hungry?"

"Mom, I can make dinner."

She wheezed out a small laugh, brushing some of his bangs across his forehead. "You can't cook."

"I'll whip something up, just go lay down. Take a nap."

"Are you sure?"

He smiled softly, kissing her cheek. "Course, Momma."

"I love you," She cooed, kissing his cheek.

"I love you, too."

He nervously watched her wobble her way to the stairs and demanded to know if she needed help up to her bed, but she waved him off and made it to her hand without difficulty. When she shut her bedroom door, and he heard the creak of her mattress on the second floor, he backed into the wall behind him and slid down to the floor. He pulled his legs up to his body and rested his forehead on his knees, his eyes overflowing with tears that he had been holding back for days.

* * *

><p><strong>#16: "Undress your body, hold it over my head, because you know that if you knock that I will always let you in. I've been numb for so long that I forgot how to feel. So I don't care if if will break my heart, just fuck me till we disappear. You said you'd never hurt me, now this is all that we have left. You were supposed to save me from myself." -Sinematic, Motionless In White<strong>

**-Rachel**


	32. Chapter 32

**So this series will have a third installment and then it would be over, but I'd have a series of oneshots that'll continue some of the relationships because they can't just end. ;) The next story may or may not be called _Who are You Now? _Idk yet, I still have to decide.**

**Vote the poll on my profile!**

**And if you have any ideas for the stories of mine that are still in progress, feel free to give 'em to me! Can't promise that I'll use them [all] but if I do, I'd give credit. **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Josh stretched as he stood up from his beanbag chair. He returned his video game to its case and turned off his television. He turned to his bed where Alex was bundled up in his comforter, snoring loudly. Smirking, he tugged on the comforter until Alex had let go of it, and slipped under it. He shifted closer to his boyfriend and leaned into his face, nuzzling his nose with his. "Baby, wake up," he whispered.<p>

Alex groaned groggily, rolling onto his back. "No. I want you to keep waking me up. You make it so enjoyable, but I don't want to."

Josh chuckled, his mouth meeting Alex's neck. He kissed his Adam's apple and pecked his way down to the hollow of his throat.

"What's with you and my Adam's apple," Alex grinned lazily, forcing his dark brown eyes open just a little bit.

"You think my shoulder blades are amazing? I really love your Adam's apple," he confessed shamelessly.

"Really? What's so attractive about it?"

"I don't know," he drifted off, cupping his face in his hands as he straddled his hips. He nipped at Alex's earlobe.

Alex's arms rose to wrap around his shoulders and his hands gliding over his shoulder blades as they jutted out from his back because of his position. "Maybe I will wake up."

* * *

><p>"Ambs, what's wrong," Alfie questioned when he walked into the living room of their home. He sat beside her on the sofa, wrapping his arms around his sniffling wife.<p>

"My babies are growing up," She whispered, dabbing at her teary gray eyes gently with a tissue. "Boo, Leo is doing his Tae Kwon Do and protecting people and he and Fiona started dating. And Jenna's becoming such an amazing match maker. And—"

Alfie grinned, moving to sit on the coffee table so he could look at her directly. "Is that wrong?"

"No, but they're all going up so fast," She gushed.

"We've still got them for a while longer, and Arthur and Kassidy aren't leaving any time soon," he assured her, taking her hands in his and kissing the backs of them.

She cooed in adoration and scooted to the edge of the sofa, placing her hands on his shoulders so she could pull him forward until their lips met. "You're so sweet."

"Well, we all knew there was something about me you fell for," He joked, shrugging a shoulder.

Amber giggled, wrapping her arms around his neck.

* * *

><p>"Hey, boyo," Alice greeted, marching into the common room and reclining on the sofa, kicking her feet up and resting them behind Michael's head as he sat on the other end.<p>

"Hey, girlo," he retorted, offering her a bowl of green grapes.

"Thanks," she picked off several and popped one into her mouth. "So how's it going with Emily?"

"Great. We're not entirely back into the flow of things, but we've made a lot of progress."

"Oh, you guys were nominated as the year book's cutest couple, weren't you," she asked.

Michael chuckled. "You heard about that too?"

"Hasn't everyone? Gracie knows about it and no one's told her."

"Gracie knows everything," Michael mumbled dismissively.

Alice rolled her eyes and tossed her last grape in the air, attempting to catch it in her mouth, but it bounced off her cheek and rolled onto the floor.

Michael laughed. "Smooth."

"Shut up," she grumbled, dropping onto the floor on her hands and knees, searching for the runaway grape.

"What about you, huh?"

"What about me," she scoffed, lowering her cheek closer to the floor to check under the sofa when she couldn't spot the grape.

"You and Justin Miller. What happened with that," he asked curiously, shifting his position on the sofa, crisscrossing his long legs and setting the bowl of grapes in his lap.

"It didn't work out."

"It just didn't work out? That's it? What happened?"

Alice shot him a look from over the back of the sofa after she crawled around it. "Just that. We didn't want to be together when we felt like we weren't supposed to be together."

"Don't you like him?"

"Yeah, I like him a lot. But see…" she huffed, pulling her blonde hair up into a messy ponytail as she continued to get more and more frustrated with finding the grape she had lost. "I don't feel at all upset about the outcome of our attempt at a relationship. In fact, I'm relieved."

"Really?"

"Yeah! I mean, I don't have this feeling of thousands of pounds on my shoulders anymore. I can breathe. I don't have Jenna, as much as I love her, constantly on my back about just jumping into it. As cliché as it may be, I do not need a guy in my life right now, and I am completely satisfied with that."

"Good for you!"

"Thank you."

"Alice, darling, what are you doing," Jerome wondered, stopping in the door way as he observed her crouching down on the floor.

"She dropped a grape." Michael informed him.

"Dropped a grape?"

"Yeah," Alice huffed, standing up and dusting her hands off against each other. "I dropped a grape and it disappeared. I spent the last ten minutes on my hands and knees trying to find this stupid grape. Where the heck did it go? It'll probably end up sitting in a corner of the room for the next ten years, mutating as it rubs up against some dust bunnies."

Jerome blinked at her rambling and then clapped his hands loudly. "Time for dinner!"

* * *

><p><strong>#17: "And it cuts like a gun, the poison in battle, sinking straight to the blood (So put your hands up, this is love, love, get 'em up!). And it awakens your dreams and kills all the demons that you thought wouldn't leave (So put your hands up, this is love, love, get 'em up!). 'Cause this is love to die from and to die for. Could this be, oh dare I say it? Oh, this could be, this could be love I've been waiting for. This could be love I've been asking for." -To Die For, Automatic Loveletter <strong>

**-Rachel**


	33. Chapter 33

**Hey!**

**Go read the A/N on Into the Future! **

**And I updated _A Love Like War_ (I literally almost typed "A Loki War") and even though it's short, I think the Peddie scene is cute. :)**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>"I am tired." Mara sighed, her eyelids drooping.<p>

Jerome blinked. "What does that mean? Like, define 'tired.'"

"I am physically exhausted." She said, brushing a strand of her hair over her shoulder.

"Like…" he scratched his cheek, throwing an arm behind her, over the back of the sofa.

"Like, I just want to lie down and sleep and not get up, for twenty hours." She finished, looking up at him.

"I'll make a deal with you," He started, and Mara shook her head.

"No, J, no deals—"

"Go to sleep now."

"I don't want to though." She protested.

"Why not," he chuckled.

"Because I don't want to wake up in the middle of the night," She said with a huff.

"If you wake up, I'll hit you over the head with a hammer." He said jokingly.

"What about dinner?" she asked, motioning to the clock on the cable box that read _3:31pm._

"What about it?" he shrugged a shoulder and stroked her cheek with the back of his hand.

"Well, you have to eat."

"Let me take care of dinner. Go to sleep and get your twenty hours of sleep, minus thirty minutes." He smiled. "I'll even tuck you in."

"Aw, you're so sweet," she giggled. "Thank you."

"Any time, my love." He winked and took her hand, helping her off the couch. She rested a hand on her stomach and let him lead her out of the living room.

* * *

><p>"Hey, Daddy," Alice smiled, bouncing into the kitchen. "Where's Mum?"<p>

"Taking a nap. Keep an eye out for Gracie and make sure she doesn't wake her up." Jerome instructed, leafing through a box of recipe cards.

"Aye aye, Captain," she saluted.

He looked up when she started piling ingredients onto the counter.

She cut a chunk off of a stick of butter and peeled the wrapper off of it, dropping it into a glass measuring cup. She set it in the microwave and turned to a glass bowl. She dumped a bag of marshmallows into it and plucked a wooden spoon from the draw beside her.

Jerome stood up and walked over to her as she reached up to the microwave to take out the melted butter. "What are you making?"

She looked up at him slowly, hand poised to pour the melted butter onto the marshmallows. "Peanut butter cheerio treats."

He arched an eyebrow, his blue eyes flitting to the bowl and then back to her.

She stared back at him with eyes that matched his perfectly, if not brighter, and copied him; they flitted to the bowl and then back up to her father.

"You are a sweet-nut." He stated.

"I know," she said shamelessly.

"But you're also a _sweet_ nut." He smirked, kissing her temple. "Proceed. But I'm gonna need the kitchen for supper in about ten minutes."

"Don't worry, I'll be done in a second." She murmured, mixing the marshmallows to coat them in the butter.

* * *

><p>"Oh yeah!" Josh cheered, reaching behind him and waved a hand in front of Alex. "Look, look, baby, look at this."<p>

Alex turned his attention away from Ozzy and watched the game winning kill. His eyebrows furrowed when the first person view spun and lifted a gun to aim down its sights and shot it, killing another player feet away from him. "Were you playing bots?" he asked suspiciously.

"No," Josh laughed happily. "I did a 360 no-scope in an actual online game! My life is complete! I've done everything – well, I haven't gotten the cherry blossom camo – but, dude, I did it!"

Alex grinned, moving Ozzy to the side so he could scoot closer to the edge of the bed and kiss his cheek. "Good job, Corazón."

"Want a kiss?" Josh smiled cheekily, tilting his head back.

"Is this what I get whenever you get cool kills?" he asked, cupping his boyfriend's face as he propped his upper body up by his elbows, and leaned down to kiss his lips slowly.

Josh smirked, returning his attention to the game.

Alex flipped his cell phone open and made note of the time, hopping off the bed. "I'll see you later."

"Where are you going?" Josh asked in confusion.

He stooped down to peck Ozzy on the head. "Bye, bye, Snowball."

"Alex," Josh said, raising his eyebrows.

"I'm meeting Eric. We're gonna go do something." He replied, crouching beside his beanbag chair.

"Eric?"

"Yeah."

"You gonna hang out with Eric?"

"Yeah, why not?" he chuckled.

"Whatever," he grumbled, quickly choosing a weapon class to use for the next round.

Alex's eyes followed his for a second.

_Free for all. _The voice on the game said in a gravelly tone as Josh's player cocked his shotgun.

He pursed his lips and leaned forward a little. "Are you jealous?"

"Don't be ridiculous. You're ridiculous. That is the most ridiculous thing you've ever said to me."

Alex dropped onto his knees, momentarily ignoring the rule between them that he couldn't touch Josh while he was playing a game. He lightly traced a finger over the shell of his ear and ran it down his neck, pulling on the collar of his loose fitting shirt to see his shoulder. "Don't worry, he's not really my type."

"You have a type now?" Josh retorted, sucking in a breath when Alex's teeth bit into his shoulder. "Did you just give me a hickey? What have I said about those?"

"Don't give you one where it could be seen." He relayed, cover his shoulder with his shirt again. "No harm, no foul. Later." He winked as he straightened and walked to the door.

"Wait, what's your type?" he questioned as his killcam played.

Alex looked back at him before he shut the door. "You."

* * *

><p><strong>Vote on the poll on my profile!<strong>

**#18: "Sparks will fly, we can burn this house down. Say goodnight, to everything we are now. Kiss me, kill me, just give in and let go. Let's live this life, like there's no tomorrow. Burn with me, one last time, I will leave our ashes, embers in the fire. Burn with me, smoke will rise. Let the flames burn higher, walk into the fire, burn with me." -Burn With Me, Juliet Simms**

**-Rachel**


	34. Chapter 34

**Ugh, this is basically a filler chapter, but I think the next chapter's better. :)**

* * *

><p>Patricia huffed, sitting on the couch beside Joy in the Rutter's living room.<p>

"You okay?" Joy giggled, laying Samantha down in her lap.

"That little Weasel isn't listening to me talk."

"How do you know?"

Patricia arched an eyebrow at her best friend. "Because he said 'indeed' five times."

"Fabes says 'indeed' sometimes."

"Eddie doesn't say it ever."

"Yacker, were you talking to me?" Eddie called from the kitchen.

"See?"

Joy pressed her lips together and shrugged a shoulder. "Have you talked to Mara lately?"

"Not in the last few days, why?" she asked, swiping a handful of nuts from a bowl on the coffee table. "Who puts nuts on a coffee table anymore, unless they're having a party?"

Joy rolled her dark brown eyes. "I talked to Mara yesterday and she and I think that we all should get together for a mum's night out."

Patricia groaned. "Oh my, God, when we went out to see Mr. Sweet – Eric – we watched this movie called _Mom's Night Out _or something and it was so stupid. It was supposed to be a comedy but it didn't get good until the tattoo artist Bones came into the story, and then at the end the main character and her husband get all lovey dovey and it had absolutely nothing to do with the story—"

"Trish," Joy hissed, poking her shoulder.

"Yeah?"

"Don't you think it'd be a good idea to get away?"

"As long as we don't end up in jail."

* * *

><p>"You should have some glow-in-the-dark stars on your ceiling." Alex commented, hands tucked behind his head as he lay on Josh's bed.<p>

"No." Josh said, running a hand through his dirty-blond hair.

"Why not?"

"Because," he began, crawling onto the bed and straddling Alex's hips. "I have to sleep in complete darkness."

"Complete darkness?"

"Pitch black. No light. Why did you think I don't have a digital alarm clock?"

"I thought maybe you had a thing for antiques."

"My alarm clock isn't antique."

"It's from like, four centuries ago. That's antique in my book."

Josh hummed, slipping his fingers into Alex's hair. "Why, do you sleep with a nightlight?"

Alex rolled his eyes at his teasing tone. "No, I have a lava lamp."

"And you think I'm old-fashioned?" Josh scoffed. "Are you afraid of the dark?"

"No, I just don't like sleeping in complete darkness."

"I see."

"Oh, shit, what are we going to do?"

Josh's eyebrows furrowed and his hands stopped in his boyfriend's thick black hair. "What do you mean?"

"Well, every time we've taken a nap together, it's been broad daylight. So…what if we end up sleeping at night and I need a little sliver of light and you can't stand it?"

Josh nodded in understanding. "Good point. Well, how about this: if you sleep in the dark, I'll protect you from the bogeyman."

Alex huffed, wrapping his arms around Josh's shoulders. "I'm not afraid of the dark, Corazón."

"Alright, I'll let you sleep on the left side of the bed."

"How did you know I sleep on the left side?"

"We're on the left side right now."

"But I could've just randomly chosen to lay down on this side—"

"Every single time you lay down in a bed?"

"You sleep on the left side too?"

"It's my side." He smirked, kissing the tip of Alex's nose. "But I'd be willing to let you have it, baby, but only if we sleep in the dark."

"Deal."

* * *

><p>"What's the speed of darkness?" Danni asked, flipping her hair over her shoulder after she pulled her jacket on.<p>

Leo's eyebrows furrowed. "Please don't ask me those kind of questions. They hurt my head."

"No, seriously," she murmured, following him out of the coffee shop. "Would a fly without wings be called a walk?"

Leo hung his head with a small laugh. "I don't know."

"What was the best thing before sliced bread?"

"If you make a cow laugh, will milk come out of its nose?"

Danni grinned. "Who was the first person to see a cow and think "I wonder what will happen if I squeeze these dangly things and drink whatever comes out?"

Leo snorted. "If buttered bread always lands on the butter-side down and a cat always lands on its feet, what happens if you strap buttered bread to a cat's back?"

"Why isn't there a mouse-flavored cat food?"

"I've got such a headache now." He groaned, running a hand over his head.

Danni chuckled, scuffing the heel of her boot against the concrete. "Okay, what's the word of the day?"

"Fudgel."

She blinked. "Fudgel?"

He nodded once with a positive hum. "It's an eighteenth-century term meaning 'pretending to work when you're not actually doing anything at all.'"

"How would you use that in a sentence?"

"I have no idea."

* * *

><p><strong>Edited because I forgot the Jalex song. :P<strong>

**#19: "Just one more moment, that's all that's needed. Like wounded soldiers in need of healing. Time to be honest, this time I'm pleading. Please don't dwell on it, cause I didn't mean it. I can't believe I said I'd lay our love on the ground. But it doesn't matter 'cause I made it up, forgive me now. Every day I spend away my soul's inside out. Gotta be someway that I can make it up to you now, somehow." -I'd Come For You, Nickelback **

**-Rachel**


	35. Chapter 35

**Go watch the video that's linked on my profile if you love love. :') Juliet made it for Andy and it made me cry.**

**Now, I don't celebrate Valentine's Day, and it's Valentine's Day today, but it's not Valentine's Day in this chapter. Just so you know.**

**And vote on the poll on my profile! In case the results end up tied (again) I'm saving my vote until the night before I close it. I'll be closing it on the 21st, so read the samples and let me know if you like them if you haven't already and vote! :D**

**:)**

* * *

><p><em>I don't wanna fade away, yet the days go so quickly… 'Cause this night is full of chances so dance around the crashes just to survive, to survive…<em>

Alex bit his lower lip and sat up on his bed. "I need to tell you something."

Josh opened his eyes and rolled onto his stomach, facing his boyfriend. "What's up?"

"Don't freak out, okay?"

"Are you actually a woman?" Josh asked seriously.

"Don't you think you'd know by now?"

"Good point." He nodded once and then he sat up on his knees quickly. "Crap, are you pregnant?"

"No!" Alex laughed, shaking his head.

"Good, you scared me for a second there." He smirked, relaxing on the bed again. "What is it?"

"Don't look at me."

He sighed heavily and dropped his forehead onto the mattress while his elbows supported his upper body.

"I…" Alex took a deep, shaky breath. "I'm falling in love with you."

Josh's head rose and he stared at the wall across from him.

"I just wanted you to know that it's happening so that you don't freak out on me if I walk up to you and say, 'Hey, Corazón, I love you!' You know?"

"That is pretty nerve-wracking."

"I know. It's just that this is your first relationship – hell, it's mine too – but I don't want you spazzing out on me—"

"Alex, calm down."

"I'd kinda prefer it if you called me 'baby' so I know you're not upset with me."

"I'm not upset, Baby." Josh assured him and sat up, crisscrossing his long legs. "Now I'm going to tell you something."

Alex straightened a little with a smile. "Hit me."

He swallowed thickly and put his hands on Alex's knee as if he needed something to keep himself upright. "When I was…twelve…"

Alex nodded excitedly, reaching out to run his fingers through his boyfriend's hair.

"I, um, I almost cut myself."

Alex's hands fell from Josh's hair instantly and his happy smile fell. He stared at Josh in shock and his palms flew to his mouth as his eyes welled up. "Oh my, God." He hissed into his fingers.

"Now, listen to me—"

"Oh my, God."

"Baby, will you listen for a second?" Josh pleaded softly, tugging on his sweatshirt.

"Wh-why would you want to do that?"

"Why would you?" he retorted, irritably.

Alex wiped his eyes and crawled onto Josh's lap. "Why didn't you? What stopped you?"

"Matty wanted to use the bathroom."

"Remind me to give that kid a hug next time I see him."

Josh splayed his hands across the small of Alex's back and kissed his jaw. "Don't get so worked up about this. I didn't tell you to make you upset."

"These are a burden." He snapped, dragging his sleeves up his arms to display the marred skin of his wrists. "They – they're ugly and horrible and a reminder that you're a fuck up and a reason for someone to pick on you and a notice to everyone that you're just a waste of space that contributes nothing to society—"

"Stop." Josh said forcefully.

"Don't you get it? Don't ever think like that – don't ever do it—"

"I think you're beautiful, okay? Nothing about your body will ever change the way I feel about you. Stop putting yourself down. I don't think of you that way so why would everyone else?"

"Because you're different." Alex whispered, groaning when tears began rolling down his cheeks again. He rocked his body and scoffed at himself, falling beside Josh on the bed and turning away from him.

Josh laid down behind him and wrapped his arm around his waist, pulling him in to nest against his body. "I didn't want you to get so upset. I told you because I thought that saying it out loud would make me cry. I was wrong."

"Why would you want to cry? I hate crying."

"Because I haven't cried…in a really long time. It's the worst feeling to want to cry but not being able to."

Alex turned his arms and placed his hands on Josh's chest. "All I ever do is try to prevent myself from crying."

Josh shrugged. "Could you cry for me?"

Alex licked his lips and nodded. "How much?"

"Until you can't anymore." He murmured, kissing his forehead and planting his chin on the top of his head when Alex ducked into his chest.

* * *

><p>"Hello, there, Mrs. Clarke." Jerome smirked, poking his head into the living room, wiggling his eyebrows comically.<p>

Mara looked up from her book and giggled. "Good afternoon, Mr. Clarke."

He walked into the room and clasped his hands behind his back. "I wanted to tell you that I love you."

"I love you too."

"It's not Valentine's Day, and I don't celebrate Valentine's Day because it's a stupid, commercial holiday, but I wanted to say that I love you. I do it every day, but I don't think I ever express how much I do in words; you're my best friend, my partner in crime, the love of my life. We've been together through thick and thin and we're stronger now more than ever. Thank you for loving me and caring for me. Thank you for putting up with my antics and thank you for being you, Beansybop."

Mara's smile grew and her cheeks warmed as she scooted closer to the edge of the sofa, cupping his face in her hands. "I can't believe I'm so lucky to have found my soulmate and the man I'm spending my whole life with. We've formed a bond together that can never be broken. I love you so very deeply, from the bottom of my heart, and treasure our life we have together. Thank you for always being there for me and putting up with _my_ antics. And it may not be Valentine's Day, but you deserve a billion Valentine's Day kisses, J."

Jerome grinned and sank to his knees before her when she pulled him forward. Their lips met gently and Jerome's fingers danced lightly over her back.

"What are you two doing?"

Jerome reluctantly broke the kiss to look over at Louisa, who stood in the foyer with Danni and Fiona behind her. "Exchanging Valentine's Day kisses."

"It's not Valentine's Day." His daughter pointed out.

"So what? You don't need a holiday to express your love for someone." He retorted, turning back to Mara, lifting a hand to her chin to bring her lips back to his.

* * *

><p><strong>Thanks for the reviews! I love you guys! Knowing that you enjoy my stories makes me really happy! Xxx<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>So Andy and Juliet had actually put me in this lovey dovey mood and I needed to write a Jara scene. ;) I took Andy and Juliet's Valentine messages to each other and edited them a little for Jerome and Mara but this is what they were originally (from Instagram):<strong>

** andybvb: I just wanted to say happy Valentine's Day to my best friend and partner in crime, my love thejulietsimms. We have been there for each other through thick and thin and are stronger now more than ever. Thank you for putting up with my andyisms haha and thank you for being you. I love you.**

** thejulietsimms: Happy Valentine's Day to the love of my life andybvb Nearly 4 years together and I still couldn't be more in love with you. We've been through so much and formed a bond that will never be broken. You're my best friend in the whole world and always forever my Valentine. I love you baby from the bottom of my heart.**

**And that's not all they've posted! But that's all I'm gonna type down. ;)**

* * *

><p><strong>#20: "Put your swords away, I'm already down. The higher we both climb, the further we fall. Now we're under, looking up into the floor, and burn each other though we're dying for more. We're stuck in this dysfunction, we love it to our death. We celebrate destruction, by lighting up this bed. You can take your love away, but don't you ever leave me alone. Burn the ghosts we've carried home. Come on touch me, show me you're imperfect too. These broken lights, they shine on us tonight." -August 28th 3:30 a.m., Automatic Loveletter<strong>

**-Rachel**


	36. Chapter 36

**Hey!**

**Vote the poll on my profile! ;)**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>"It's so hard." Alex groaned.<p>

"It's not hard." Josh said with a roll of his eyes.

"I'm not good at video games, Joshua."

"You don't have to be good at video games to play Minecraft. Video games come in all kinds of designs, stories and controls. Minecraft is easy."

Alex pouted.

Josh sighed. "I'll let you sit on my lap."

Alex's head shot up. "Really?"

Josh nodded and Alex was in front of him in a second. He sat on Josh's lap and took the PS3 controller from him.

"What should the seed be?"

"What's the seed?"

"It builds the world."

"Oh, um, 69."

"Oh, brother," Josh scoffed but created the world with that number anyway, "Just so you know, anything that has to do with sex will probably screw us over in the long run in this game."

"That sounds like fun."

"Trust me, it's not. It'll probably be nothing but jungle, and I hate the jungle biome."

He spent the next few minutes explaining the controls to Alex and answering any questions he had.

"…while you're walking, or flying, push the left joystick forward twice and you'll move faster. However, in survival mode, when you run, your hunger will get lower and you'll need to eat more. So you have to make sure you have plenty of food."

"You can fly in this game? Cool."

"That's all you got from what I just told you?"

"It's confusing!"

"No it's not!"

"What the hell is an end?"

"It's not end, it's The End. It's where you fight the Ender Dragon so you can get the Ender Egg. To get there, you have to find the Eye of Ender, twelve of them to be exact, which are dropped by Endermen—"

"See, this is why I don't understand it."

"What's not to understand?"

* * *

><p>"His name's Ernie." Lynn giggled as the white and brown Boston terrier tugged on the toy she held in her hand. She ripped it out of his mouth and tossed it to the corner of the living room.<p>

Matty jumped a little when the puppy bounded up to him and licked his cheek.

"Are you scared of dogs?"

He blushed lightly, shaking a hand over his curls. "I haven't met a lot of d-dogs."

Lynn smiled, scooting closer to him on the floor. "Look, he likes you."

Matty warily let her pull his hand and set it on top of Ernie's head. He smiled shyly, stroking the puppy's head.

"See? You don't have to be scared." She assured him as Ernie jumped out of Matty's lap and snatched up his squeaky toy again.

* * *

><p>"You actually went out with Jacob and you didn't tell us." Fiona said with a shake of her head.<p>

Sarah blushed a little and shrugged her shoulders sheepishly. "I just…it happened so fast – he asked me, I said yes, and then we were hanging out with you guys and you were talking about the play and your date with Leo and – I don't know. I just didn't think of bringing it up."

Louisa grinned, linking her arm with Sarah's. "So? How was it?"

"Sweet."

"That's it?" Danni scoffed with a roll of her eyes. "Give us the juicy details!"

"He took me out on a walk and we talked…about everything." She smiled. "And he was nervous at first, as was I, like he thought he was going to make a mistake."

"Oh, man, he really likes you!" Fiona realized.

"It's not weird right? Fiona, I'm sorry, I should've asked—"

"Are you kidding me? Water under the bridge – and I should've noticed how you had felt about him before I started dating him. You two are really cute. And speaking of cute…" she sighed heavily.

"You and Leo?" Danni asked teasingly.

"No, you and Eric." Her best friend retorted.

"There's not even anything there, what are you talking about?"

"You two are so cute! You thinking that you don't like him and him saying that he's going to get over you."

"He said he couldn't. Yeah, right." She grumbled.

Fiona and Louisa shared a hesitant look.

"You didn't hear?" Louisa asked.

Sarah made a sound of realization and smiled sadly at Fiona.

"Hear what? What's with the looks?" Danni chuckled.

"Eric started dating Jessica Parks a couple days ago. You didn't hear about it?"

"From drama? The blonde?" she let out a laugh of disbelief. "It came from a box!"

"I don't think Eric cares about her hair color." Fiona pointed out.

"He is doing what you wanted him to do Danni." Sarah said softly.

She halted on the sidewalk and her friends turned to her. "No he's not. I never told him to get over me. I just wanted him to hate me again."

"But he never hated you in the first place." Louisa said.

"He's dating Jessica Parks?"

"What did you want him to do?" Fiona questioned. "You turned him down, what did you _expect_ him to do?"

"I thought he'd stick. I wanted him to keep trying. He hurt me and he thought he'd get me back with an explanation and an apology. I wanted him to show me that when he said he couldn't hate me that he really meant it."

Fiona wrapped her arms around Danni's shoulders. "Guys really aren't the best at deciphering what we really mean, D."

"Yeah, I guess you're right." She pushed away from Fiona and smiled tightly. "Guess I screwed up. Oh, well… What were we doing again?"

"Meeting the guys at the coffee shop." Louisa replied.

Danni nodded once and marched off down the street.

* * *

><p><strong>Yeah, I just stuffed a little random MattyLynn friendly-fluff. ;)**

**My brother acts like such a jerk when he comes home from his friend's place. He just comes in and starts throwing temper tantrums for very stupid things and calling me names for taking away his PS3 because he keeps being a brat about everything. -_- Jerk. **

**#21: "Now our lives have changed, I wish that I could heal. Time has taken love, a darker side revealed. For every lie begins, with what we used to feel. Blaming myself, tied to these chains, living in pain. All of your tears, everything's gone, is it too late? Walk away..." -Walk Away, Black Veil Brides**

**-Rachel**


	37. Chapter 37

**Hey!**

**Vote the poll on my profile! I'll be starting a new story soon! :D**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>"Please?" Louisa pleaded, hurrying after Josh in the school hallway.<p>

"Why weren't you paying attention?" Josh asked, turning to her when he reached his locker.

"Well, there's this guy and I've got a date with him. I was trying to plan my outfit." She waved her hands in front of herself quickly. "But that's not the point; I need your history notes – please, Twinny!"

"No, Lou," Josh said with a shake of his head, twisting the combination in and pulling the door open.

Louisa tapped her toe against the tiled floor in annoyance and stooped down to pick up a piece of paper that had fallen from Josh's locker. "Oh, are is them?"

Josh's eyes flitted to the paper and he grabbed for it but she hopped away from him quickly. "Louisa, give it back."

"What is it?" she scoffed, unfolding it. "Ooh…does Joshua Henry Clarke have a girly-friend?"

The tips of Josh's ears tinted pink at her teasing and rushed after her as she skipped happily in circles.

"_You're hot—" _She began to read, but gasped when he managed to rip the note out of her hand and pouted_. "_Boo."

"Keep out of my stuff, Lou." He grumbled, his blush darkening, crumpling the note into a ball, tossing it into his locker and grabbing the books he needed, hurrying down the corridor.

* * *

><p>"Hey, baby," Josh greeted, walking into Alex's house. He dropped his backpack on to the sofa and entered the kitchen, stopping when he saw Alex sitting at the table. "You ok?"<p>

Alex nimbly flipped a cigarette between his fingers several times. He swallowed thickly, his eyes wandering away from the stick and to the pile of packs on the table. He picked one up and tossed it to Josh as he lifted the unlit cigarette to his lips.

"You done?" Josh assumed, twirling the pack in his hands. He looked down at it and his heart skipped a beat. _Corazón _was scribbled across the front of it with a heart beneath it. He didn't roll his eyes like he normally would have. He put his attention back on Alex and dropped it onto the table.

"Yeah." Alex nodded, standing up.

Josh watched him in shock as he scooped up the packs and walked over to the garbage can in the corner. He released them from his arms and took the last one from his mouth, flicking it in as well. He took several steps back and then turned to Josh.

"I can't breathe." He hissed.

Josh grinned, wrapping his arms around him. "I'm proud of you. I'm really proud of you."

"No more." He sighed, pulling Josh away from his neck so he could kiss him.

"This is a big step for you. You're bettering yourself." Josh said, stroking a finger down the length of his jaw.

"Yeah," he murmured, playing with Josh's collar.

"Yeah," Josh mimicked, tilting his head up to kiss him again.

* * *

><p>"Hey, guys," Eric smirked, holding a cup of coffee in his hand as he walked up to the booth.<p>

Sarah waved at him with a small smile and Jacob jerked his head backward in a silent greeting. Danni remained silent and Fiona sheepishly did the same. Leo's eyes darted between Fiona and Eric once before he grinned and waved, saying hello.

"Hi," Louisa replied, stirring her coffee.

"Do you mind if Jessica joins us? She's from drama—"

"We know," Danni snapped suddenly. She cursed herself in her mind, avoiding eye contact with him.

He nodded slowly and stuck an arm around to wrap around his girlfriend's waist when she came up beside him.

"Hey," Jessica Parks smiled kindly at everyone.

"Hey, Jessica," Fiona answered, "how are you?"

"I'm great, how are you doing?" she asked, sliding into the booth beside Eric. "You don't mind if I join you guys?"

"Uh, no," Jacob said after a moment when he noticed that the girls weren't going to answer.

Eric rested his arm behind Jessica's shoulder and chuckled to break the silence. "What did we interrupt?"

Louisa blinked and shrugged a shoulder, swiping a hand through her hair. "We weren't really talking about anything."

He nodded but his face told them that he didn't believe her. "Where's Alex and Josh?"

"I think they're hanging out at Alex's today." Leo replied. "They don't like hanging out with the group all the time."

Eric let a lopsided smile slip onto his face. "Yeah, I can respect that."

"Speaking of Josh," Louisa suddenly perked up, tapping Fiona on the shoulder, receiving Danni's attention as well. "I think he's got a secret girlfriend."

"Why do you think that?" Danni asked, dark eyebrows drawing together as she sipped from her coffee cup.

"Because last night, he was in the kitchen, probably having a midnight snack after everyone went to bed, and he was talking on the phone. He was all smiley and he called the person on the other line 'baby'."

"He calls her 'baby'?" Fiona gushed. "Oh my, God, that's so cute!"

"And he's been getting notes in his locker. He thinks I don't see them, but one dropped out of his locker and he notice it, so I picked it up and read it. He blushed!" she giggled.

Eric bit the inside of his cheek to prevent himself from laughing while Jessica just watched the exchange in hesitant interest, sipping her coffee quietly.

"What did it say?" Fiona questioned with wide eyes.

"_You're hot, full of light, perfect, and best of all, what makes you perfect is that you're all MINE." _she relayed.

"Oh my, God." Fiona giggled.

"Looks like Josh has a girlfriend." Danni smirked.

* * *

><p><strong>#22: "So I brown paper bag this solution to just quit, an illusion is best fit, terrified that I already did. Until you said, 'Don' worry, I'll fix this. Just like you always say. So I'm sorry, forgive me, you are always wanted." -Always Wanted, Juliet Simms<strong>

**I'm kinda guessing on these lyrics because this song is from like MySpace days; when Juliet first started pursuing her musical career. :)**

**-Rachel**


	38. Chapter 38

**Hey!**

**Vote the poll on my profile if you haven't already!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Danni twirled her pencil in between her fingers and waited until the teacher turned to the whiteboard to face Eric and stare at the side of his head.<p>

Eric looked up from his desk and his eyes flitted to the teacher before he met Danni's from across the aisle. "What?" he mouthed.

"Knock it off, I know what you're doing." She hissed.

He shrugged. "I don't know what I'm doing."

"You're trying to make me jealous with Jessica. Stop it. Don't play girls like that." Danni snapped quietly, her green eyes flitting to their teacher again as he turned to the whiteboard behind him.

Eric's eyebrows furrowed. He cast a glance toward his girlfriend on the other side of the room and she noticed, flashing him a brilliant smile and a wave. He smiled in return and looked back at Danni. "I'm not trying to make you jealous, Dan."

She rolled her eyes in response.

"I like her. I'm getting over you. It's what you wanted." He stopped, arching an eyebrow. "Isn't it?"

Danni turned her attention back to the lesson. "Yeah."

* * *

><p>Alex grinned, walking over to Josh as he tossed his wet towel into the hamper in the corner of Josh's room. He stood over Josh and shook his head, water droplets splattering across Josh's face. The blond scoffed at him, letting go of the game controller briefly as the killcam played to grab Alex's shoulder and pull him onto the bed. Alex chuckled, climbing onto him, straddling his hips.<p>

Josh groaned. "Alex, I can't see."

"Oh come on, I want to spend some time with my boyfriend. Stop playing for two minutes, please?"

"Why?" he laughed, but turned the game off anyway. He arched an eyebrow at Alex, turning away from him when he leaned down for a kiss. Alex huffed, trying to steal several more, to no avail as Josh continuously dodged each attempt. He pushed up as much as he could under Alex, aiming for a kiss, but Alex copied him and turned his head.

Alex entwined Josh's fingers with his and leaned down again, successfully pecking his boyfriend's lips briefly before sitting up again. "Prom is tomorrow night you know."

"So what," Josh smirked, lifting his upper body again, trying to reach Alex's lips.

"So…why haven't you asked me yet?" he asked quietly, patting Josh's chest and pushing his head back down onto the pillow before Josh caught his hands again. He pecked his lips and trailed a few kisses down his neck before pulling away again.

"Why would I?"

"Because you're my boyfriend, you're supposed to ask me, and I want to go."

"I don't want to go to the prom. I don't dance and it's not my thing."

"Can't you make it your thing for one night just so you can take me?"

"No, take yourself." He scoffed.

Alex frowned and hopped off Josh and the bed.

"What?" Josh demanded, pushing up on his elbow and angling his body toward Alex's rigid form as he stalked toward the other side of the room.

"I want you to take me to the prom, that's what."

"Are you going to throw a temper tantrum now?" Josh asked with a roll of his blue eyes.

"Josh," Alex snapped.

"What's the big deal?" he laughed, shrugging his shoulders indifferently. "There will be other dances."

"I want to go to this one."

"I don't want to."

"Why? Is it because everyone will find out about us?"

"No, Alex, that's not—"

"The whole school will know; you'll get bullied; you'll be embarrassed by me—?"

"Oh, yeah, that's the reason." He scoffed. "No, I just don't do dances. We established a while ago that we don't do cheesy couple things—"

"I like doing cheesy couple things with you." Alex growled.

"I still don't get why this prom is so freaking important."

"Look at it from my perspective, why don't you, boyfriend of the year." he said sarcastically, turning to him sharply.

"What, you just want to go?" Josh snipped.

"Wow, you're a genius."

"You've got to have a better reason than that."

"Well, I don't!"

"It's not that we have to go; I know you don't want to come out yet, but asking me would make me feel pretty damn good – even if we don't go—"

"I don't want to." Josh exclaimed, turning away from him. His head snapped back to the door when Alex rushed out, slamming it behind him. He stared at it for a moment before huffing, running his fingers through his hair in frustration.

* * *

><p>Josh's head whipped up when his bedroom door opened, but his hopes that Alex had come back vanished when Michael walked in.<p>

"Alex just ran out of the house grumbling words that made Mum blush." He smirked, sitting on the edge of Josh's bed and looking up at the TV screen. "What are you playing, _Call of Duty_?"

"Yeah, _Ghosts_," Josh murmured.

"That's your favorite one, right?"

His younger brother nodded, tapping his index finger against the side of the controller as he waited for the new match to begin.

"So what happened between you and Alex? Why was he so upset?"

Josh bit the inside of his cheek nervously and backed out of the game at the last second, dropping his controller into the beanbag chair after he stood up. He dragged a hand through his hair and turned to Michael. "Because I refused to take him to the prom."

Michael blinked, looking as though he was trying to understand the situation.

"He's my boyfriend."

Michael's eyebrows rose in surprise.

"I'm gay."

"So why wouldn't you take him?"

Josh's eyes flitted to him and he almost rushed over to give him a hug. Michael didn't mind. Josh knew he wouldn't, but it was still reassuring. "Two reasons. One, I don't dance. Two, we haven't exactly made our relationship public yet. I don't want to come out to the school until we've come out to the rest of the family and our friends."

Michael nodded in understanding. "So what are you going to do?"

"What am I supposed to do?"

"I don't know," he chuckled, "He's your boyfriend; you know him better than anyone. What do you do?"

"I don't know; he's complicated. He could've been kidding about the whole prom thing."

"Is that why he ran out of the house with a cartoon storm cloud over his head?"

Josh sent him a deadpanned look.

"You know, I remember you telling dad that you thought Aladdin was cute when you were seven—"

"Get out!"

* * *

><p><strong>My baby sister turned down the Frozen soundtrack to listen to BVB4. I have taught her well. ;D<strong>

**#23: "So here it goes, my last chance of a hopeless romantic and I don't understand why you don't, why you won't show you're dangerously into me and it's tragic, so pathetic. I'm in love with you and you just don't get it. So when you lay your head at night, do you think or me? Do you think it's right to leave me here to kick myself, to hate myself for all that I felt?" -Just Keep Breathing, Juliet Simms**

**-Rachel**


End file.
